Sealed with a Potion, from Lana
by emeraldclouds
Summary: Lana Bernhardt has always loved Jake. Then, Lana gave Jake a love potion and now he's in love with her! Nessie is heartbroken. Will everything be alright again? Rated M for future chapters.
1. Love from a Distance

Fanfiction #5

**A/N: I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I do. The story plot is basically the combination of a few ideas of mine, and I also hope that you won't think this is too "common", because I'm not sure about the other fanfics. By the way, this story is set in six years post BD. Nessie's six, and looks about sixteen or seventeen. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in Twilight. All I own is the plot and a few other minor characters. Oh, and Lana's mine too. **

Nessie POV

My life is perfect. I have a beautiful home, a caring family, great friends, and last but definitely not least, a wonderful boyfriend. His name's Jacob Black and he's a Quileute wolf. My father was against our relationship at first. Do you know what Dad's most famous quote is? It's "_I simply refuse to let my daughter have a mongrel for her boyfriend!" _ But it only took some persuading from me, some kisses from Mom, and maybe a little miracle, for him to consent. Now, occasionally, Dad still grumbles a bit about Jake, but he's fine and all. Aunt Rosalie isn't very happy about me and Jake, though. She told me that the two of them were old enemies, especially during Mom's pregnancy. Figures.

It's been almost a year since the beginning of our relationship. I've been planning to celebrate our one-year anniversary with something special, but I don't know what yet. Something romantic with a touch of fun, maybe…? Like the La Push beach at sunset? I needed privacy as well. No way was I going to do with a crowded restaurant or a nightclub disco. Something slow, romantic, intimate, seductive…

It's been precisely eleven months and three days since we were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Not that I've been counting like a lovesick puppy, but I just can't help it. Jake knows that he has the special ability to make me stop breathing, my heartbeat to accelerate, my mind to fill with fog, and only he can make me feel that way.

I still remember our first kiss like it was just yesterday. I've been really grateful to Dad for gifting me with superb vampire memory ever since then. Although he'd been anything but happy when he read Jake and I's thoughts after we came back home, after our kiss, I'm still glad that he didn't make too much a big deal out of it.

The way Jake's lips had slowly killed me…Unforgettable.

"Nessie? Nessie! C'mon, hurry up, it's almost time for school!" I heard Mom's angelic voice from downstairs. Over the years, Mom had grown accustomed to people calling me 'Nessie', and then she'd started calling me Nessie herself. Either way, Nessie or Renesmee, I really didn't mind. Last year, Mom and Dad had enrolled me in Laverne Harvey, the new school that had been erected in place of the old Forks High School, which Mom had attended. Jake was attending Laverne Harvey, too, and of that I was glad, really glad. Laverne Harvey was a no-uniform school, and the stylish girls took pride in picking on the geeky ones because of their worse-than-a-dead-dog fashion sense.

Today, my curly bronze hair had been draped elaborately over my shoulders, where they hung to my waist. I was dressed in a tight white halterneck top, a scarlet miniskirt and white 2-inch heels. There was a little hidden pocket in my miniskirt where I kept a pair of black-rimmed sunglasses. I also wore a pair of black hoop earrings. Aunt Alice and Rosalie would approve. Unlike Mom, I adored fashion and was an active partygoer.

I sashayed down the golden spiral staircase. Aunt Alice clapped her hands together in delight when she saw me. Aunt Rosalie grinned at me. Dad groaned. Mom stifled a small giggle. Grandma Esme, Grandpa Carlisle, Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett were out hunting.

"You'd better not let any boy get the wrong idea, Renesmee Carlie Cullen," Dad warned. "Dressed like that, you'd probably give anyone a heart attack, particularly the human boys. And Jacob as well." I sighed. I knew that. Did Dad have to repeat his speech every day before I went to school?

I nodded and followed Mom out the door into the garage, where she kept the black Jaguar that Dad had given her for Christmas two years ago. Mom hopped gracefully into the driver's seat while I climbed into the front passenger seat. Mom hit the accelerator, and then we were off.

When we reached Laverne Harvey, the first person I saw was Jake. Jake gave me a lift to school on certain days, but sadly, not today. He was leaning against the side of his blue Chevy truck. I'd tried to get an orange one, the same kind he'd sold to Mom, for him but I could only find blue. Jake had insisted on not getting a car for him, so I'd gotten him a new truck instead.

"Hey," Jake said casually as I stepped down from the Jaguar. He looked like the most beautiful guy in the world, dressed casually in a loose gray top and low-rise jeans. Gently, he caressed my cheek, and smiled when I kissed him lightly, and then pulled away to look at my face.

"It's too bad I won't be seeing you until Biology in the early afternoon," Jake said. That was true. I would miss him. But I tried to remind myself that I couldn't have him with me 24-hour. That would be too selfish of me, and unfair to him and others, too.

"Nessie!" a familiar voice squealed. I turned around to find Elizabeth, one of my best friends. Everybody called her Lizzie. Coming up closely behind Elizabeth were my other two best friends, Bethany and Kara. The four of us, we sometimes had Girls' Night Out on Friday or Saturday nights. I still preferred to be in the company of my Jacob, although I'd never tell them that.

"Hi, Ness," Bethany and Kara greeted me. Kara stopped short when she saw my outfit. "OMG Nessie! That is sure one killer outfit!" Kara shrieked, you'd think she saw a crocodile on her bed.

"You already have a boyfriend," Bethany said, faking anger. "Are you trying to attract all the other boys and leave nothing for us?"

"Of course not, Bethany," I answered, pretending to be offended. Jake mouthed me a 'Later' before he jogged off.

"Oh, oh, look out, girls, here comes Her Majesty!" Lizzie cried. Lizzie came over to stand with me on the right, while Bethany and Kara stood on the left. We bowed our heads. It was a "tradition" we performed whenever Veronica Geraldon and her clique walked past. Veronica considered herself, always, to be the Queen of Laverne Harvey, and so of course we were being sarcastic.

Veronica rolled her eyes at us as she walked past. "This is so childish!" she complained to her friends. Veronica was mega-rich and mega-proud, all at the same time. "I'd have thought that you sixteen-year-olds would have gotten over this childish play-acting by now." I inwardly giggled, just to myself. How surprised Veronica would be if she knew that I was only six…?

"Oh, okay, then let's stop entertaining the self-proclaimed queen, shall we?" Bethany suggested, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's much more worth it to be earlier for our Chemistry lesson than receive a scolding from Her Royal Highness Veronica Geraldon, isn't it girls?"

And then, according to "tradition", we'd march off neatly in a single row of four, leaving Veronica and her friends staring at us in utter disbelief. Well, as I can say, we've had fun doing this.

Jake POV 

It was all too bad that I couldn't see Nessie until late afternoon, because I missed her like hell every second that I wasn't with her. The first class I had for the day was Chemistry. My first class was the same as Nessie's first class, but it was even worse knowing that she had the exact same lesson but was with a different class, different teacher, from me. I hated Chemistry. What for did we have to learn this kind of thing, anyway? It wasn't like I'd been forced to become a chemist when I "graduated", had I? I felt like skipping class today, so I lingered around the cafeteria, taking the early batch of muffins.

"You came early today," grumbled the cafeteria lady, Mrs Sonata (and yes, if you were wondering, her last name really is Sonata). Ol' Sonata whacked a muffin out of my fingers and placed it back in the tray, where she kept them back in her lunch cupboard. Sonata came and wagged an old, creased finger in my face. "You're not supposed to come so early, okay? Save some for yer fellow people. They get hungry too you know! Don't skip class. You young generation people, never bother about lessons, did you know how much one yearned ter go ter school in my time? Yer don't know how to cherish things around yer." Sonata has the old country way of pronouncing some words, like 'yer' for 'you' and 'ter' for 'to'.

So I hung around the back, where Sonata wouldn't be able to see me, and thought about Nessie.

I was halfway through a vivid image of me messing around with Nessie in the woods when somebody tapped me on the shoulder. I turned my head around slowly. Oh. It was Lana Bernhardt from my Chem class. Lana was a brunette, with wavy shoulder-length dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. (pic on profile) In the human world she was considered to have a fair complexion, but of course that was nothing compared to my Nessie. Like I'd said, after I'd imprinted on Nessie, I really didn't see the other girls anymore. Not as in 'see' them, because I don't wanna be blind, but as in really take in everything about them that would have been appealing to me as it would to other teenage human boys.

"Hey," Lana said shyly. "Skipping class?"

I barely nodded my head. "Yeah. You're supposed to be in my Chem class right now, so I'll guess that you're skipping, too?" Lana blushed and nodded. Weird reaction. Would normal girls blush at my kind of response? Was there something wrong with her?

"Are you feeling sick, Lana?" I asked casually, ready to help her if she needed any help in getting home, etc.

Lana blushed again. It reminded me of Bella when she was still a human, and how she always looked when she blushed. Lana's cheeks grew bright reddish-pink, and there was an apology and embarrassment in her sapphire-colored eyes.

"Well?" I asked impatiently. Did Lana have a mental disorder with the inability to talk to me? I didn't have all day. Mr Aitensedore, my Chem teacher, was practically going to kill me if he found out that I'd skipped class. But Nessie was good at those things, at helping people make excuses last-minute. She was convincing, too.

"Oh, yes, er, nooooo…" Lana's eyes darted around nervously. "I mean, er, um, yes, uh, I'm sick…" She lowered her head. "I need…to go…home, ooh…"

I raised an eyebrow. "What's happened to you? What do you need?" Better still, it didn't have to be a fake excuse when I told Mr Aitensedore, and Lana could get away as well. The people in our class didn't really like Mr Aitensedore, and we hated his classes even more. The way he always taught everybody was boring. Nothing new, nothing fun, nothing interesting to make us all wake up from our half-asleep states. No, never, not at all. You'd never come across a single student who'd say "I really enjoy Mr Aitensedore's classes" without lying.

Lana clapped a hand over her forehead and closed her eyes tightly shut. "I feel…kinda faint. Like I have a headache or something, but worse. I think I need to go home, Jacob, would you please bring me to my car?"

Lana POV 

Jacob Black is, like, the miracle of my life. Isn't he simply the hunkiest, sweetest, cutest guy you've ever seen? I can't believe that he's with that Renesmee girl; she's not at all his type of girl. It's been rumored that they'd be willing to give their lives for each other, whatever that means. And his sweetheart Renesmee "Nessie" Cullen isn't going to be around to skip class with him today, and now for once I've got him all to myself. I wouldn't miss out on a single chance to have Jacob be with me, and so what's the best way to accomplish that without pretending to be sick and let him hold me up?

So I told him that I was having a faint time about it, and by his expression, it seems, he totally buys it. "Let me get you to your car," Jacob said, his dark eyes full of concern. I saw myself reflected in those eyes, and I was surprised at how good I'd been at this acting-to-be-sick thing. Of course I couldn't be able to see clearly in his eyes, but it gave me some comfort that perhaps things would start to change between him and me, or was it…?

"I parked in the third row. It's the dark blue Audi, the second last one from the right." Inside, I was trembling with nervousness, and if you want to make it cliché, like my stomach was full of butterflies.

Jacob put one arm over my shoulder and started guiding me with his hand toward the school carpark. Halfway there, I had an idea, then moaned once, collapsed to the ground in a heap and shut my eyes. I felt pain cutting through my shoulder, but some sacrifices were necessary for your loved ones.

I heard Jacob's voice, felt Jacob's fingers on my shoulders, Jacob's hands shaking me, trying to revive me…

I felt the nearly silent whoosh of air as it whisked past me, and suddenly I had the sensation that I was being lifted off the ground, and then I was racing through the air, the feeling one that I'd never experienced before.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, and fluttered my eyelashes a little, not in the flirty way but in the way actresses always do on TV when they wake up from their sleep to find a charming prince in the very same room. Jacob's eyes widened. "Lana, are you okay?"

"I…" I stuttered over the words to make my act more convincing. "I…I'm fine…now. Thanks…" Looking around me I found myself already in the school carpark, right next to my beloved blue Audi. I fumbled with the car key in my skirt pocket, and then pressed the black unlock button on it. The Audi's lights flashed and it beeped. Jacob pulled open the passenger door and put me down on the comfortable leather seat, and then he got in himself on the other side. I can't believe he was going to drive me. Ohmigod, Nessie is gonna be so jealous. That is, if Jacob even tells her about this.

_Jacob Black: Nessie is so gonna kill me for this. She knows that I love her and all, but still…I mean, I couldn't just leave Lana collapsed on the cafeteria floor, right? Couples should understand each other, understand this kind of thing. Is that a fact or is that statement just for comforting myself? _ (A/N: I guess I don't have to make a whole new Jacob POV when this is all I've got to write, so everything just goes in italics)

"Do you know my address?" I asked Jacob incredulously. Jake revved the engine and glanced at me. He shook his head.

"Sierre Gravado Street, No. 18, the Bernhardt Estate. If you still can't find it, you can't be colour blind, anyway, and mine is the only sky-blue house around here. You do know Sierre Gravado Street, don't you Jake?" I told him clearly, and then realized with a jolt if I was speaking TOO clearly, so I added a little cough at the end for effect.

"Uh-huh, sure. Even though my activity is mainly up on La Push and around Forks, I can still find my way around here. Sierre Gravado Street is considered to be where many "upper-class mansions" are." Jake didn't look at me as he spoke, he was probably concentrating on the road ahead. Then again, he could be thinking about his Nessie as well. Ugh. Why did I always have to let myself think so negatively? Of course he wasn't. Which driver didn't concentrate on the road when driving?

Many, many drivers.

I didn't like Renesmee. Not only because she was officially Jacob's girlfriend, but of course that contributed to some of the dislike, but even before I realized that I liked Jake more than a friend. She was the kind of all-too-perfect girl, and revoltingly perfect as well, just like the rest of her family, the Cullens. I didn't know why but it seemed as though her _father_, Dr. Carlisle Cullen who looked too young to be anything but her brother or cousin, had injected some kind of ultimate skin-whitening fluid into them. All of them were perfectly white, without so much as a little bit of tan, except for Renesmee and her rosy pink cheeks, but other than that the rest of Nessie was white, too. (A/N: In this fanfic the story is that Carlisle and Esme are Nessie's parents. Bella is Nessie's sister, and Edward is Bella's boyfriend. Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper are Nessie and Bella's cousins from Spain. Their parents died in a tragic car accident, leaving them as orphans, and that happened when they were twelve. The Cullens took them in, etc, etc. But of course we know better.) She had Jake, her friends Lizzie, Bethany and Kara, her perfectly beautiful body, and her trust and family support. Renesmee was also that kind of girl who was lucky and perfect in almost every single way you could imagine. The only thing that was missing was the "being a downright showoff" part. It was just…unfair, unjust, you know what I mean.

As I was thinking about all this I realized that Jake had already come to a stop in front of the gate of my home. Time always passes so quickly if you're thinking about things in which you're kinda jealous of other people, and I really didn't know why, because word is that time only passes quickly when you're happy. Anyway, I really wasn't very happy right now because I hadn't spent my alone time with Jacob wisely. Talking to him would have been nice, if that wouldn't get us into a car accident, which probably wouldn't because I know that Jake is a great driver. Getting to know him better and finding out some of Renesmee's weaknesses just so I could use this knowledge against her would be good to pass the time, too, and I was regretting my actions far more than I'd ever regretted anything in my life. Jacob was my first love and I've never met another guy who made me melt and feel this way; I'd once promised myself that I _would_ have him, sooner or later, and I'd known that I would be willing to do anything to get there.

"Lana? We're here. Lana…? Hey, are you feeling fine?" Jacob leaned over to my side in the car seat, unbuckled his seatbelt and looked at me with a strange expression; it was worry mixed with something that I couldn't put my finger on, it was very difficult to comprehend his expression right now and it was something that I hadn't seen before.

I shifted uncomfortably, writhing in the seat although virtually I was feeling quite comfortable here. "Yeah? I'm good," I mumbled, trying to play it cool.

"Okay." Jacob shot me that strange look again and looked at me fully for one last time, clearly unconvinced. "I have to go now. You can take care of yourself just fine, right? You just might wanna get yourself to the doctor or something?"

I shook my head and stepped out of the car. Jake followed. When I heard him shut the door on his side, I shut mine too and locked the car doors, then put the car key safely into my pocket again. "I'm going to be fine, Jake, you really don't have to worry so much. I'll be right up again tomorrow, oh you'll see."

Jake chuckled a low, hearty chuckle. "It'll be good, then, because I can tell Mr Aitensedore that I sent you home because you were sick. It's a good excuse, it won't be lying, and we'll both get out." I giggled, too.

I "stumbled" my way up the porch steps to my house, and then further up the stairs to my bedroom. When I was sure that Jake would be safely out of watching distance, I flounced on my bed and congratulated myself on a job well done. I was almost going to take my mobile and text Renesmee, telling her how I'd accomplished some alone time with her darling Jacob. She'd obviously be more jealous than not.

And that was all before I heard the purr of another engine, and then it roared to a stop.

Curious, I stood up and went to my bedside window and sat on the apple-green light chair next to the window, and peeped out. What I saw horrified me.

It was Renesmee's sister's black Jaguar, obviously Nessie had loaned it from her. I heard it was that Renesmee's parents didn't want her to drive her own car to school, at least not until she was eighteen like her sister was. Nessie stepped out of the car, her nostrils flared, her eyes squinted, her lips slightly parted like she was breathing through her mouth, and she probably was.

Jacob touched her hair, but she put her hands on her hips, glared at him and spoke. Jake gave her his best lovesick-and-apologetic-puppy look, and grasped her wrist, and then he, too, spoke. She spoke once more, and although I couldn't hear what they were saying, I could see that Renesmee's aggressive posture and angry expression had softened noticeably.

Jake wrapped his arms around Nessie's waist and pulled her closer to him, as though trying to hug her but I saw, and therefore knew better. Their eyes locked, and it was a gaze of love as well as understanding. Nessie then put her arms around Jake's neck, and I couldn't do anything about it. Jake leaned in, gently, caressed her cheek, and then pressed his lips to hers.

I saw it almost as well as any outsider would have seen, but I saw it quite clearly because my father had not built the house's floors very high and my bedroom window happened to be facing the front door, where the porch was, and where Jake and Nessie were.

Their kiss wasn't the simple, sweet and innocent kiss that most couples I knew had shared. In fact, this kiss was a wild, tongue-twisting and saliva-swapping kiss, so intimate that I couldn't bear to watch. It seemed to private for a third person to look on, something that could only be shared between two people and only these two people involved in the kiss.

Being the coward that I was, I escaped out the back door of the Bernhardt Estate, and decided to take a stroll in the woods to get my mind off the things that had very recently happened.

I was already deep into the woods when I heard an irresistible, angelic voice calling out to me. "Lana, Lana…" the voice chanted over and over again, like a hypnotizing spell.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" I asked, wary. I took a step backwards. Then, suddenly, giving me a great fright, a young girl jumped down from the branches of a nearby tree, holding a clear crystal vial which contained a thick, rich crimson-red liquid.

"It was me," the hauntingly beautiful girl said. She was beautiful in every way except for the bizarre fact that her irises were a bright red, even brighter than that of the liquid in the vial on her palm. "I am Jane, and I have the power to satisfy your wish, the wish that you have wanted to fulfill for so very long."

I stared at the vial cradled in her palm. "Is…is that it?"

"Oh, yes," the stunning Jane replied, her voice floating and whispery. "But all is not what only meets the eye, Lana, my friend. In this very vial contains the liquid that has the power to make your Jacob fall in love with you."

"Just like a love potion?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Like those kind you see in the comics sold at the newspaper stands?"

Jane pursed her lips, and I wondered why she didn't, or wouldn't, smile. "Well, dear Lana, not _like_ a love potion, but it _is_ a love potion."

"Why…Jane, why do you want to help me? You don't even know me." My instincts were telling me that there was something dangerous about this Jane. She had that same flawless porcelain face like Renesmee and the rest of the Cullens did, but their eyes were brown and sometimes golden (because of the radioactivity), and hers were bright red, they were menacing. There was something strange as well, like the dark gray, almost-black cloak she wore. It was so long that they trailed on the ground beside her feet when she moved.

"Really…" Jane didn't say the word like it was a question, rather she said it like a flat statement. "The cov-group that I belong to; we are old enemies with the Cullens. The three leaders of my group, Aro, Caius and Marcus, they instructed me to come here, find you and give this to you. I didn't expect this task to be so easy. I thought I'd find you closer to the city. But never mind this now, take the potion. It's destined to be yours. You're the most suitable person I know to use this. Don't you want to get some back from Renesmee?" Jane challenged, her eyes taunting. "It's a very good opportunity now. If you don't act fast, your Jacob will be gone forever. We, my group, we help the people whom we think are worthy of our help. This potion was specially brewed by Chelsea, a female in our…group. Chelsea is naturally sensitive to feelings, you see, and she can just sense how you feel about this situation. Don't ask me how I know about your plight, but I just do. We all do. Oh, but don't worry Lana, we are very good at keeping secrets…even to our grave." Jane's eyes seemed to bore a hole in my chest. "I'd do anything to get back at those Cullens. That's a story for another time. Now it's your chance to act against them. Get your revenge on Renesmee." She saw the hesitation on my face. "It's what you've always dreamed of." Jane reminded me, knowing my weak spots. Hmm, Aro, Caius, Marcus, such old, outdated names. I couldn't…take that potion. It just felt so wrong.

Jane's voice was smooth as it was irresistible, and could make any heart melt. "_Lana, you're very beautiful, do you know that? You deserve a good boyfriend. You deserve the man you truly love, who is no other than Jacob Black._" Jane's voice wasn't exactly cooing, but it was soft, sweet, very convincing and incredibly persuasive. "Renesmee would never have gotten him if it wasn't for the imprint-"

"The _what_?" I asked, confused.

"Nothing much," Jane replied casually. "Just something to tell you next time, like I'd said."

"This is wrong, Jane," I told her slowly. "Trying to steal away someone else's true love when they're already a perfectly-matched couple is definitely wrong!"

Jane shrugged, and part of her hood slipped. She quickly pulled it back into place. "It's your choice. Just take it, and you'll find that it will help you in the future, if not now. You can use it if you want, I'm just leaving it in your care. Take it as that, and use it at your own free will. Pour the whole bottle if you can. Here's the antidote if you…ever decide that you've had enough." Jane handed me an identical vial, containing the same kind of liquid only that this time, it was dark blue instead of red. Jane smirked. "Chelsea will be disappointed, but you need not take her feelings to heart anyway…"

Jane smiled at me pointedly as she turned.

The last thing I saw was Jane running, her dark cloak flying behind her like wings as she ran through the forest, her feet barely touching the ground.

The last thing I felt was excruciating pain before I closed my eyes shut.

And then everything went black.


	2. Thinking About You

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a horrible time…**

**The teachers loaded us, with two projects, one major and one minor, to hand up next year and many, many worksheets. Also, poor thing my grandfather had just suffered a stroke and is in the hospital and I'm visiting him as often as possible, I hope you understand. **

**So, I'm going to pay you back with one big, fat juicy chapter. Enjoy! **

Lana POV 

I woke up at the very edge of a forest, hidden behind a fallen tree with the potion and its antidote in my pockets. Thank goodness that somebody had delivered me there, or else I would never have found my way out of the forest. Perhaps it was Jane…? No, I had seen her flying out of the forest, was it possible that she could run so fast…?

Carefully, I picked myself up and then stumbled clumsily out of the forest, where I found my dark blue Audi parked at the nearest spot. Somebody must have helped me, and for that I was more grateful than ever. But if I didn't know who that person was, how could I thank him or her? Although I'd really like to think that it was Jake who had done all this…

I wasn't sure that I could drive in a state like this, but I needed to anyway. There was nobody around to help me. Somehow I managed to get myself back home. Mom was already in, but Dad was still at work. I smelled the telltale aroma the minute I stepped into the house. Mmm…Mom was baking her famous chocolate-chip muffins again. However, first things first, and I had to make an important decision first.

I barely greeted Mom before racing up the stairs to my own bedroom, which was at the furthest end of the second-floor corridor and with a connecting door to my elder sister, Lorraine's room. Lorraine was already twenty and studying at the university many, many miles away. Since Lorraine lived so far from her university, she'd decided to stay at the hostel in the university, and wouldn't be back until next June. Though I knew that Lorraine couldn't possibly come into my room from hers, I locked the door that connected our rooms and locked the main door to my room as well, in case Mom should come in.

I placed the two vials side by side on my wooden desk and stared at them, hugging my knees as I sat on the bed and rocking back and forth, deep in thought.

It felt as though there were two voices in my head, one the White Angel and the other the Dark Devil. The White Angel told me to dispose of the two vials in the river, whilst the Dark Devil told me that Renesmee would get her well-deserved fate when I got Jacob for myself. It made me have no peace, no rest, and it wasn't like I could do anything when the two were arguing non-stop inside my head.

And the Dark Devil was winning.

I knew it was just an illusion of mind, and that in reality I was controlling both the White Angel and the Dark Devil. But why did all those wicked little thoughts come to me? I was going to weigh the pros and cons of both options when my rocking stopped.

After all, there was really no harm in using that potion, right? And, if I was just trying to comfort myself, perhaps Jane would know the way she had known all about my situation. Then she could tell Chelsea the potion-brewer and Mistress of Feelings, and Chelsea probably wouldn't feel so bad. There had to be some good in every bad option, just like turning yourself on the wrong path, like a blessing in disguise. No, like there was a silver lining to every cloud.

The next day at school, I was proud of myself for thinking of wearing jeans with extra-deep pockets so that I could better keep/hide the potion. I'd left the antidote at home, at the very bottom of my walk-in closet, in the bottommost locked drawer, so it was safe. I didn't think I'd need the antidote anytime soon. I definitely didn't think that I'd get tired of Jake so quickly.

I walked casually, with my book bag slung over my shoulder, poised with careful styling. I needed to look my best when I appeared in front of Jake.

As usual, I found him with his dear Nessie, fondling in the school carpark. Nessie's chocolate-brown eyes grew wide when she saw me. She quickly whispered something to Jake. Then they were both silent when I approached.

"Lana?" Renesmee said coolly as I closed within hearing distance. "Are you on a mission to keep on pestering Jacob with your unrequited love? Obviously you're in love with him, but he's my boyfriend now. Perhaps another time, when-"

"When what?" I cut her off mid-sentence. I'd had quite enough. All my doubts about using the potion faded and subsequently vanished. They were the least of my concerns now. "When Jake's already lost interest in you? And it's incredibly rude to intrude in others' private love life, did you know that? Your parents probably didn't teach you any manners, but I wouldn't blame them. Actually you're quite impossible to teach. No, if you were really wondering, I'm not on a mission. I'm not a spy, unlike _some_ people, if you're clever enough you'll know who I mean. I have eyes, okay? I'm not blind. And so _obviously_ I can see that you and Jake are a hot item now. And, unlike _some_ people, I'm not impossible to teach. I've been taught not to intrude in others' love life before. Making it simpler for you, that is, conclusion: I'm not in love with Jake. You are. I have my own life. You have yours. So there."

I heard the soft _pop_ as Renesmee's mouth popped open at my words, and Jake tried to comfort her. Said Renesmee: "I don't need comforting, Jake. I'm fine. I'm really not affected by this kind of people."

All I noticed was the wind blowing my hair back from my face as I strode off. Huh. Perhaps I'd have to give the potion to Jake at another time.

I went to my classes punctually today, not in the mood for skipping. In Chemistry, Mr Aitensedore questioned me and Jake about our absence yesterday. Before I could say anything, Jake told him that I was feeling dizzy and he'd brought me home to rest. And, that by the time he'd gotten back to school, Chemistry period was already over. Mr Aitensedore had a strangely thoughtful look on his face as he turned and left. Behind his back Jake winked at me, and I suppressed laughter but instead grinned back at him. Just when the period was over, Jake was making a beeline for the door and I was still packing, but as he rushed past me it was not only the wind whooshing that I felt. His arm had merely brushed my elbow as he'd gone past, but that accidental touch, little as it was, had already been enough to send a shiver up my spine and set my skin tingling with the remnants of that magical sensation. Clearly, Renesmee didn't know how impossibly lucky she was.

As I walked slowly out of the classroom, something glittering on the floor caught my eye. I bent down and looked at the white mobile phone with streaks of boldly outlined red. It was the black screen shining that had been the glitter I saw. Hang on a sec…I recognized this phone, it was Renesmee's! This was too good an opportunity to miss. Oh of course I would return the phone to her…at some point.

But not now.

I flicked the top of the phone open, and the black screen faded, changing from navy blue to purple and then finally white. I saw Renesmee's wallpaper, a photo of her and Jake, when they were slightly younger. Renesmee was seated casually on a heart-shaped seat formed by three branches of a tree, while Jake was standing behind the tree with his head out and both of Renesmee's hands in one of his.

I quickly figured out how to use her phone, and went to the messaging section. There I located her inbox, which was, of course, filled with messages from Jake, as well as some from her family and Lizzie, Bethany and Kara. One particular message from Jake, however, received special attention:

Sweetheart, how are you? It's been a long time since we've met each other out on a proper date. Why not make it soon? How about this Saturday at the Pop Hall Café? Will you be free then? Always love you =)

So I looked for Nessie's reply to Jake's message in the outbox section:

A date with Jake? I wouldn't miss it for the world, not even if Dad forbids me, which he probably wouldn't, anyway…I'm free on Saturday. You got the right day, Jake. I'm going out with Lizzie, Bethany and Kara on Sunday. Pop Hall Café has many outlets. I'll meet you at the one in Port Angeles, you know that one. At 3.30pm, just in time for tea, you know what I mean. Hopefully the weather will be nice because I'm looking forward to sitting on the 2nd-floor seats, those near the café garden, out in the open. Love ya too!

Jake replied her one last time:

Sure. And the weather will hold for us, Ness, you bet it will. I'm sorry I have to cut this short but at 7.30pm I have a meeting with Sam and the guys, so I'll have to go at 6.30pm. Maybe we could take the whole day out next time. Really sorry, I hope you'll understand! That's a meeting I can't cancel. Even the Elders, all of them, are coming. I don't know what it's about, at least not yet. Not even Sam knows. Only Dad and the Elders know.

A plan started to form in my mind. Then I checked the message details, just in case it was another Saturday. But, luckily, no. Jake had sent the "date message" this Tuesday, and so the Saturday he'd meant was obviously this Saturday.

I jogged down the steps to the cafeteria, where Jake would probably be meeting Nessie for lunch. Again, they were wary as I approached, but Nessie's surprise was genuine when she saw her phone in my hand. She was suspicious, though, as to whether I'd read any of her "private information" in there, and of course I assured her and reassured her that I wasn't the kind of spy who would do anything just for some extra juicy gossip info to spread around the school. Of course, knowing Renesmee she wouldn't let the matters rest and her suspicions would be even more confirmed if she saw me at the Pop Hall Café on Saturday.

Who cared about what she was thinking?

On Friday, I drove to Port Angeles after school, after calling Mom to tell her that I'd be late for dinner. Once there, I sought out the Pop Hall Café, as Renesmee had mentioned in her text, and found the owner, Lydia Kanchesne.

"Miss…Kanchesne?" I asked uncertainly when a waitress escorted me to her office. "May I?"

"Come on in," a thin voice immediately called back.

Entering the office and closing the frosted glass door behind me, I saw a woman in her late 20s sitting at her desk. Her eyes were a startling ice-blue, and her hair was pale blond and tied into a chignon at the nape of her neck. She looked…altogether, very pale. Her skin was paler than any human I'd ever seen, yet not as perfectly white as Renesmee and the Cullens'. She had absolutely no spots at all, and not even the slightest hint of a tan. Lydia had that perfect posture that could only have been so perfect through years of ballet dancing. She was considerably quite tall, I guess, her thin cherry-red lips parting to reveal two rows of flawlessly straight, snow-white teeth. Her skin looked powdery and fragile, her nose was pointed and her icy eyes were sharp, aware and intelligent.

"Yes. What is your business here?" Miss Kanchesne stated, her eyes piercing. She looked the right kind of people who you could never lie to because they saw through all your lies, somehow, and the kind of woman who always supported the side of justice and was the general public's idea of the "cold but clever heroine" thing.

"I need to…to discuss something with you first, Miss…Kanchesne..." It was impossible to stutter in her presence, with her sharp senses following your every move.

Miss Kanchesne paused. "Just call me Lydia. It's fine. Go on."

I took a deep breath and told her part of my story.

"Ah, I see…" Lydia sighed very, very deeply and stood up, her blue eyes melting to become somewhat softer. She seemed to be thinking about something that happened once upon a time. Only her body, physically, was here. The rest of her, her mind, her heart, and her soul were all far away, travelling in time, perhaps…You could just tell by that dreamy look in her eyes. "Unrequited love…" She didn't say the words like Renesmee had. Nessie had said them spitefully, coldly. She said them in a half-daydream state, and I wouldn't mind betting that she'd once had her turn on this, too.

"So, you see," I said, clicking open my mobile and showing Lydia a photo of Jake and Nessie posing together, "when they come, I need to act like a waitress." Of course I couldn't tell Lydia about Jane's part and the part where the love potion came in, so I changed the story a little bit. "And…I'll tell _him_ something that just might change things between us…or so I hope, anyway. Is that alright with you…Lydia?"

"Oh, er, yes, yes…" Lydia seemed flustered, something that I'd thought would never happen. Even if she felt so, I thought she'd be the kind of person who'd hide it, hide everything… The Lydia now and the Lydia that I'd first met when I came in, just a couple of minutes ago seemed a totally different person. "Of course, just let me give you the spare waitress's uniform…" Lydia hesitated, and then added, "Are you sure that you can be a waitress? I mean, in such short notice, and Saturday is only two days away…"

"Don't worry," I assured Lydia. "I've been a waitress before, when I was sixteen. I'm only seventeen now, and the memory's still quite fresh in my mind. Although I have to admit, I didn't like that job a lot and ended up quitting in the course of six months…yeah."

"People do all sorts of things for the ones they love," Lydia said, snapping back into her daydream mode. I said a quick goodbye before quietly slipping out the door. If Lydia was having a daydream about her long-lost beloved, then I certainly didn't want to be the one who interrupted that daydream. If Lydia could fall in love, that guy must certainly have great qualities…or maybe her type of guy was the kind who taught Physics or who was a heavyweight boxing sensation or…I had the feeling that I wouldn't want to know. After all, I do have Jacob, and although Renesmee currently had him, I wasn't sure if she would still have him for long.

Thanks Jane, thanks Chelsea…!

I absolutely couldn't wait for Saturday. The only fact that peeved me was that Renesmee had the idea that I liked Jake more than as a friend, and although of course I would deny that idea, I could tell that Renesmee wasn't going to let herself be convinced willingly anytime soon. She was going to be even more suspicious on Saturday if I showed up at the Pop Hall Café, especially disguised as a waitress. She'd make Jake change her mind. And knowing how crazy Jake was for her, I wouldn't doubt that he would listen to her. Now my only question was, would the potion work as well as Jane had described?

Time flew past me, as though in a blur. Although today was already Friday and only one more day from Saturday, I'd expected time to go much more slowly because the day had been dragging on in my anticipation for the upcoming event. Saturday, or "Showdown Day", as I'd secretly named it, was here.

I remembered that I'd read Renesmee's text, and the date was at 3.30pm. So I reported to Lydia's office early to prepare for this, er, once-in-a-lifetime…chance?

Well, anyway, Lydia recognized me straightaway and gestured for me to follow her. She led me into a much smaller room at the back of her office, and then produced a black apron printed with the Pop Hall Café logo and a white cap embroidered with the words "PHC". I'd come prepared, wearing the plain white T-shirt and jeans I saw all waitresses wearing underneath their black aprons. It was the traditional Pop Hall Café uniform and I'd left thinking that they'd have something more modern and stylish, the last time I'd been here.

I quickly put on the apron and fitted the cap neatly around my hair, though I had to adjust my ponytail slightly before I did so. I checked my watch, and the luminous green hands pointed to 3.00pm. Aha, thirty minutes before they arrived…if they were punctual, that is. I'm sure they would. They wouldn't miss a date with each other.

The minutes ticked by. I saw Jake and Nessie walking, hand in hand, up the curb where they stopped in front of the café.

A waitress named Gisele seated them, but I heard Nessie requesting for a two-person seat on the upper floor, with no shade. Gisele's eyes scanned the top floor. Nessie pointed out spare seats to her. Gisele then nodded, and led them right to the upper storey, where I peeped and saw them seated comfortably there, chatting casually. Occasionally, when he thought nobody was looking, Jake would steal a quick kiss with Nessie. Yes, nobody was watching them, nobody except for me.

It was time to make my move.

I walked straight up to the second floor, where I spotted the couple almost immediately. I waited silently in a corner before I saw Jake raising his arm in the air.

I went up to them and saw Nessie's accusing glare at me, but I ignored that. I smiled sweetly at _both_ of them and asked in what I hoped was an equally sweet voice, "What may I get you?"

"Aren't you Lana Bernhardt?" Jake asked when he saw me standing there with a notepad and a pen, ready and waiting to take him and his date's order.

"Yes," I replied, trying to play it cool. "Often I come here to make a few bucks. Isn't it a small world?"

"You _had_ to be looking at my phone before you returned it," Renesmee told me, her expression flickering back and forth. Anger. Shock. Anger. Pain. Anger. Shock. Well, it was mostly anger, and I can understand why.

"Can't I come to the Pop Hall Café? Can't I come to Port Angeles? Excuse me but there is something called a coincidence and it's not like your family owns the whole place!" I retorted.

"Calm down," Jake muttered, definitely not happy.

"Okay, it's not school here, it's public, and it's a café. What do you wish to order?" I asked, almost impatiently.

"I'll have a chocolate milkshake," Nessie told me. "Um…just give me a cup of coffee, with extra milk, thanks," Jake said, and flashed me a quick smile. I jotted everything down on my pad and turned to the kitchen. As I was walking, I heard faintly the voices of Renesmee and Jake behind me.

"You can't go anywhere without bumping into her," Renesmee complained.

"Oh, come _on_," Jake said in a somewhat soothing tone. "There _are_ such things as coincidences, you know." I heard Renesmee huff once.

When their order was ready, I placed the coffee cup and the glass of milkshake on one of the café's gray trays, and took it to the corner where I quickly grabbed the potion from my pocket and yanked it open. I poured the red liquid into Jake's coffee, feeling the same White Angel flinch in my heart, and felt a little guilty for doing so, but then the Dark Devil reassured me that nothing bad would happen, no consequences except for Renesmee's broken heart maybe, so I just took the tray to the table.

When the drinks arrived, Jake immediately offered Nessie some of his coffee. I gasped in shock, luckily they didn't hear me. And what had been blessing me, Nessie refused, thank goodness…

Jake took a sip of his coffee and his head jerked, his eyes widened as though just waking up from a daydream and snapping back into reality. He coughed and coughed. Nessie's own eyes grew wide and reached over to pat his back, growing concerned.

"I'm cough…fine, Nessie, cough…" Jake coughed out. Finally he stopped coughing. When he started to drink his coffee again, he didn't cough, and Nessie's eyes dropped and went back to her milkshake.

The moment they left the café, I went to Lydia's office and stripped off my waitress's apron and cap, and drove home. I couldn't help thinking about the way Jake had said goodbye to me when he and Nessie left. Would the potion kick in so quickly? And, I can tell you, Nessie sure didn't look very happy about the little goodbye. Jake had a peculiar look in his eyes that had never been there before, not even when he looked at Nessie, and that look was made out of part love, part admiration, part worry, and something else…?

That night, after dinner, I went up to my room, making an excuse to my parents that I wanted to have an early night and that I was tired. What would Nessie make of the love potion? She'd be sure to suspect something after all she'd done about me liking Jake, checking her mobile phone, and me denying everything. And, surely, if she and Jake had been such a hot item before, wouldn't she think it so strange that Jake (well, he _will_, hopefully…) start to love me so quickly? I knew that Nessie was a smart girl, and that she was good at analyzing things and figuring things out. But would she guess what had happened to me in the forest? After all, the encounter with Jane and all, it seemed weird to me too.

Well, maybe I did feel guilty about doing this. It was probably wrong enough; if there was such a thing as a Jury of Love I would surely have been convicted of murder. If the rumor that Jake and Nessie couldn't live without each other was true, then…

Stop thinking about this, Lana Casslyn Bernhardt, I told myself. You've finally achieved all that you've ever wanted for your life, especially in love, so why are you feeling guilty about doing something to keep someone as yours when that special someone should have been yours long ago?

Because I was doing so, quite illegally.

If you got what you wanted, but knowing you had ruined somebody else in the process, would it make you happy? If that person you had ruined was the key to unlocking your beloved's heart? Would you let him go? Would you let them reunite, and see them smile and kiss in front of you when you know that if it weren't for you, they wouldn't be here now? Was it worth it for everybody else to be happy when the only person who wasn't was you?

I couldn't decide.

I was still thinking about this when my mobile phone rang. I checked the 'Incoming' Status before answering. It was Jake. My heart leaped for a moment, but then things settled down when the White Angel brought me to the fact that he wasn't calling me naturally. The White Angel was really starting to annoy me; it was getting on my nerves. And, anyway, did Jake even have my number before that…?

I sighed and pressed the green 'Answer' button.

_Jake: Hey, Lana…It's me. _

_Lana: Yeah. So, what'd you call me for? _

_Jake: Umm. I was wondering if you'd like to have a little night walk with me. At the Cloverdale Gardens. Sorry if this is too sudden for you. I mean, I'll understand if you already have plans tonight and- _

_Lana: No problem. What time will that be? _

_Jake: Around nine. You know where the Cloverdale Gardens are don't you?_

_Lana: Uh, sure. I'll meet you at the front entrance of the Cloverdale Gardens, okay? You know, the main entrance, the one with the rose-lined canopy? _

_Jake: Mm-hmm. See you there…I'm really looking forward to a night alone outside with you, Lana. At night, the Cloverdale Gardens won't be too crowded. It'll be romantic. Nice, huh? _

_Lana: Cool. Bye… _

_Jake: Wait. You know…I love you, right?_

_Lana (the White Angel is bothering AGAIN): Um…yeah. I love you too. Bye._

_Jake: Bye, and see you soon… click _

With a sigh, I hung up, too. I can't believe that I'm sighing about this when Jake has just asked me out at night, without Nessie. It only took one final bit of effort when I kicked the White Angel straight out of my heart. I didn't want to deal with multiple feelings and perspectives anymore. Believe me, it was tiring. I wanted to be in complete ecstasy, knowing that Jacob Black would forever be mine and that there would not be any Renesmee Cullen trying to disrupt my love life. Jake would be totally over her by now, or so I hoped anyway. I couldn't think of any other reason, too, why he'd ask me out.

I didn't have anything better to do, so I just sprawled out on my bed and played games on my mobile until eight, when I carefully placed my phone on my desk and slipped into my walk-in closet to select some decent clothing.

After ten minutes, I emerged, with casual-enough jeans with deliberately ripped spots slung over my arm. I also wanted to wear black tights underneath the jeans so that where the jeans were ripped, the utter blackness of the tights would show through. I matched these with a tight sleeveless yellow top that people usually wore for a stroll outside, jogging, or to the gym. I topped it all off with a pair of chunky black strapped sandals and classic silver diamond-drop earrings. I put all the necessary things into a black "pouch" bag with golden rings and zips. Then I applied some Strawberry Sparkles lip gloss, eyeliner and mascara to enhance the effect. I didn't think I would need blusher and eyeshadow at night. After a final check in the mirror to ensure that my lips were shiny and full, my eyelashes dark and long, and finally my eyes dark and deep, I left for Cloverdale Gardens. I had curled my hair slightly and it hung a little off my shoulders, the ends curled but the initiated hairs not. My hair had also needed a touch of hairspray, but otherwise it was glossy and fresh from the lavender-rose-shampoo I'd done from my bath earlier.

When I got to the Cloverdale Gardens, I stopped near the front entrance and pressed the luminous light-up button on my watch. The face lit up and I saw clearly that it was already nine. Then I spotted Jake half-jogging towards me, and _my_ own face lit up, just as the watch's face blanked back into darkness like it was unhappy to see Jake. I almost laughed out loud at the possibility.

"Hi, Lanie…" Jake murmured adoringly as he stroked my hair. He took my hand, kissed it gently and led me into the Cloverdale Gardens, also known as the Lovers' Park. "You look so beautiful tonight."

My hand was still tingling from his light kiss, and I was glad he didn't notice when he held my hand because that would have spoiled the romantic moment, although I knew that the "tingling" was just an "inside" feeling. "Lanie?" I asked him. "Is that the new nickname for Lana?"

"Well…yes, I think so," Jake said, chuckling lowly.

I tensed. "Does Nessie know you're here?"

Jake chuckled again. "Who cares a heck about Nessie…?"

I was stunned into silence.

He continued, then. "Well, maybe other people care. Lizzie, Bethany, Kara, her family the Cullens…yeah, but not me. Not anymore. In fact, now I care about you, Lana, you and only you. You ARE my life now, and I don't think I've ever set eyes on a girl more beautiful and better than you are. I don't think I can live without you, so please, please Lana, please say you'll never leave me?"

I've never met with such a request before and I must say I was flattered. Although I still couldn't help thinking that this was only an effect of the love potion, it was still pretty much worth considering even knowing the fact that once you gave him the antidote he would go back to Nessie and say the same thing. Well, since the love potion was still under effect and I'd thought he would be heartbroken if I refused his promise, I decided to agree to it. Under normal circumstances I would have agreed straightaway but this was…like, what, _abnormal_?

"Yes, Jake…" I whispered breathlessly although physically I was perfectly fine. I spoke as though I'd just returned from a 6.4-mile run, or a marathon, whatever. "I won't…won't ever leave you."

Jake smiled, and the soft silver glow of the moon and the late streetlights touched his hair and features, lighting up his already perfect face and making my heart skip a beat. "I won't leave you, too." He took one of my hands in one of his and his other hand reached around to cup my cheek.

"You're beautiful, Lana," he whispered. "Absolutely beautiful." His hand dropped from my cheek and led me to one of the many loveseats in Cloverdale Gardens. This one was mauve, and it had two satin navy cushions.

Jacob cuddled me tightly, whispering words of undying love in my ear. Sometimes he kissed my hair gently, sometimes he stroked my cheekbones, and I felt that every inch of my body was touched by an inch of his.

"Lana Bernhardt…you won't leave me…not ever…how nice to know that…" Jake sighed and traced his right index finger around the outline of my lips.

Nessie POV

I didn't understand. I didn't know how it was possible that Jake could start with that Lana Bernhardt girl so quickly, and she was _human_. He'd dumped me _over the phone_ yesterday, and I hadn't stopped crying ever since. I mean, I was his imprint, right? So it couldn't have been pure love for Lana that had made him break up with me. He was just friends with Lana the day before he broke up with me, how could anything have happened so quickly? And he'd spoken those painful words like he was disgusted with me, those words were so final. Just like when Dad had left Mom, but eventually they'd gotten back together, hadn't they? I had to keep in my strong belief that Jacob Black would come back to me. Eventually. But how long would that be? I wasn't sure how long I could survive in this torture. I loved him. Lana doesn't! She doesn't even know what true love is.

I've asked Aunt Alice to look into Lana's future for any possible clues, but she can't see Lana because she says that Jake is blocking her view of Lana. She can't see me, either, because I'm a half-breed and all.

Right now I was in my room, staring blankly at a photo of Jake and me on my desk. Jake held me close while we stood in front of a background of an enormous Christmas tree, and I was sucking on a miniature candy cane. I was younger, then, and we were just best friends then, nothing more. Now, though, everything had changed.

I'd asked Mom to use her mental shield to shield my mind from Dad's mind-reading ability. I knew it was hard enough for everybody to look at my pained expression and know that they couldn't do anything to help me. I didn't anyone to know what was going on in my head, particularly my parents-my own father. It would make things even worse if Dad could feel the pain that was burning inside my mind and the thoughts I was having.

I took a deep breath and thought, like, for the millionth time that day, of Jake's possible reasons for doing this to me. Lana Bernhardt had seriously pissed me off, and for this she was going to pay.


	3. Discoveries and Revelations

Jake POV 

Under the gentle moonlight, Lana looked like a complete angel. Over the course of a couple of days, I had already washed Renesmee Carlie Cullen completely from my mind. She was nothing to me now, just like a stranger. It was she, the very girl, who prevented my love for Lana to blossom. Before Lana, I'd thought I saw true love in her, but that was simply before that! I'd really never noticed Lana Bernhardt before, but now that I finally had, I reeled from shock that I'd missed out on such an important part of my life some time ago.

Renesmee (she does _not_ deserve the nickname "Nessie") kept on begging for me to stay. I mean, how pathetic is that? Can't she see that Lana and I make the perfect couple? I officially broke up with Renesmee over the phone yesterday. She'd called me to ask me if I wanted to go to the movies with her next week. Breaking up with her had been a decision I hadn't regretted, not at all.

Lana and I were fondling over in Cloverdale Gardens, and it felt wonderful. Especially so to know that Lana had promised never to leave me…I would, too, stay true on my part of the promise and I wouldn't let her down.

I knew that I'd left Renesmee heartbroken yesterday, but who cared? All she had to do, it was that simple. Get over me, find herself a new boyfriend, and she'd be happy…happy _enough_. Not that I cared, anyway, but _maybe, just maybe, _I felt the teeniest bit guilty for breaking up with her so very suddenly. It felt like there was a soft voice at the back of my mind, telling me to apologize to Renesmee and start with her all over again. And, strangely, accompanying that voice was a feeling which told me Renesmee would forgive me if I apologized to her now.

Ha, not going to happen.

I ran my fingers lightly over Lana's beautiful brown hair, and then cradled her hands in mine. I fought the strong urge to kiss her right now, to rip off her clothes. Straining my ears, and with help from my extra-powerful werewolf hearing, I could hear Lana's heart accelerating wildly.

I _could _kiss her. Yeah, sure, that would be really nice. Although I wasn't too sure about the clothes-ripping part, I mean, come on? In public…? You must be crazy, right?

Gently, slowly, I leant in towards Lana and hooked one of my arms around her neck. Her breathing hitched in her throat, like the oxygen came with difficulty. By the time my body was fully pressing against hers, Lana already had her arms around my waist. One of my arms still around her neck, my other arm moved down to rest on the tip of her ass. She giggled.

I pressed my lips against hers; how smooth and perfect hers were, I can't possibly describe it in words. All I could say that our lips were moving in flawless sync and it wasn't long before I felt my tongue tracing the edges of her lips, and her tongue slipping into my mouth. Mmm…she tasted ever so delicious, so beautiful.

I stood up, bringing her with me, without breaking the kiss. Lana sighed; she needed the air and I felt my oxygen supply draining already, so I pulled away. We were both slightly breathless and incredibly amazed. "That…was…wonderful," Lana panted, her fingers gliding across her lips, still in awe of the moment.

"That's…an understatement," I replied, giving Lana a sidelong glance. She blushed; it kinda reminded me of Bella, years ago, when she was still human. But I couldn't think of Renesmee or anyone related to her. I couldn't risk myself missing her, and although I didn't think that was possible, still, everything was possible; it could always happen one way or another. "_You_ are the amazing one, Lana," I told her, my voice softer and sweeter (or so I hoped).

"Let's go to my place," Lana suggested, but it wasn't really a suggestion, the way she put it. And, anyway, whatever plan Lana had in mind, as long as she spoke up, I would definitely comply.

"Right, of course," I said immediately. I knew Lana's address from the time which I drove her home, and…ugh, at the time I was still with Renesmee. I hated to think about the times when we were still together, as a couple. I just wanted to bask and enjoy the moments in which Lana and I, _we,_ were together. She was mine and I was hers, now.

Lana's house was within walking distance so we walked back there, our fingers entwined. I felt aroused but I didn't know why, maybe it was the proximity of Lana to me and her seductively smooth touch, even if she didn't know it.

Once we were at her house, we went up to her bedroom. "Mom should be out for late dinner with a few of her friends right now. After that, they'll probably go shopping and won't be back for another couple of hours…"

"Perfect," I heard myself whisper.

Lana smiled; obviously she had something in mind. "Wait for me here, okay Jake?"

"Anything," I told her, sinking down onto the floor and looking up at Lana, my personal goddess. How I could ever have thought that Renesmee was prettier than Lana, I don't know.

Lana slipped out of her room. When she came back a couple of minutes later, I heard my mouth pop open in shock.

Lana was wearing a navy silk bra and a matching thong. She sat on the bed and smiled at me. "Daily routine," she whispered silkily. I got up.

Lana grabbed my arm and pulled me onto the bed with her. Once I was there she spun herself around, so that she was lying on top of me. I took the chance to attack her mouth with my kisses while feeling her amazing body on top of me. I felt myself harden as she pressed herself further against me.

Lana's hands slid under my shirt.

I breathed softly into her mouth and then I gently eased myself up onto the bed. My shirt was lying just above my stomach and I yanked it down. "Lana…are you sure we're ready for this? I mean, we've just been…"

Lana purred sexily; the sound alone attracted me so much. "Yes…"

She reached over and pulled my shirt off and over my head. This time, I didn't stop her. She could play with me for all she liked; after all, I was hers already. Then, suddenly, a voice in my head screamed at me to _stop, stop, and stop_. On the other hand, I'd waited for so long to have my angelic Lana at last.

But I just couldn't ignore the voice.

Sitting bolt upright, I grabbed my shirt and put it back on. By now, my four limbs didn't seem to be controlled by me but by the mysterious voice in my head. That's when the realization hit me. The voice sounded _so_ much like Renesmee's…could she be the answer to all this?

"What are you doing?" Lana half-shrieked. Her face was ingrained with pain and angst. Then, all the anger disappeared, her features softened, but still with much pain in her eyes and expression. "I thought you wanted me."

"I do, Lana, believe me, I do!" I knew she would never believe me if I told her about Renesmee's voice. "Just…not in this way, I don't want to hurt you! Look, well, I…I really do love you but I feel that all this is happening in too much of a hurry. We _will_ do this, I promise, but just not today, okay?"

Lana looked straight at me. "Just because I'm a virgin doesn't mean you have to stop in the middle!"

I looked away from her awkward glance. "I promised you. Not today, but I will…you know, get back to you, and I swear you won't be disappointed with what you can find in me. I know I won't be with you, too. Lana, please, give me a chance. If you like this so much, we can always do this. We can do it every day, every hour if you want. Give me some time to adjust to this…new…well, please…?"

Some pain vanished from Lana's eyes. "Okay. But when you've promised me this, you can't back out anymore, right? And, also, the next time we're doing this, after you've "had time to adjust", you'd better not stop in the middle just when…you know what I mean…"

I smiled at her using my best smile. "Of course. After this, I'll give you everything you desire, no refusals."

Lana laughed; the sound was a little too stiff for my liking, though. "Yeah, sure."

Come to think of it, I didn't know why I had let Renesmee stop me. Or, rather, a voice that sounded like Renesmee's to stop and further control me. Now, right here with my newfound love for Lana Bernhardt, the situation was getting far more awkward than I'd ever expected anything between Lana and me to be.

"So," I began, trying desperately to break the silence that had fallen like a curtain between us, "I'll…go back…home now, right?"

Lana looked down; obviously she found this as awkward as I did. "If you want to…I just want to let you know that, from now on, I'm all open, okay?" This wasn't a question at all. This was a statement. A statement that didn't need answering, although it was directed straight at me. Quickly and quietly, I left Lana, sitting alone in the middle of her bed, a figure of both loveliness and loneliness.

When I jogged back to La Push, I felt down and lowly. How deep had I driven the wedge between Lana and me on just the first few days of our relationship? How much had I pained her? How long would it take for us to return to normal? Would she be able to put this behind her, forgive me, and let me take her hand again? All these questions that I had, with no answers. Only time would tell.

Hidden in the depths of the dark shadows of the forest, I phased into wolf form. Subconsciously, I replayed the events of the day over and over again in my mind, like it was a broken recorder. I had forgotten that, if any of the others were in wolf form, they would, too, be able to see the pictures running through my mind, through the mental link that we wolf-pack-brothers shared. I didn't want to spread my misery throughout the pack but I just couldn't help myself now.

"_Jake, bro," Paul spoke in my mind_. A couple of years into Renesmee's growth, the two packs of wolves had joined together to form one, just like it used to be in the old days. Somehow, the Elders had used some ancient magic to transfer all my alpha blood back to Sam, so that Sam was the alpha and me, his beta. I sure liked it that way. Only because I had begged so hard and had apologized so many times had the Elders decided to use their magic, and had Sam and the rest of the pack forgiven me.

"_What's up?" Embry asked. After browsing through another round of my mental pictures, so vivid, he got the point. "Oh…"_

"_Mind your own business and shut up," I told them. "Just how many of you are wolves right now?" I was lazy and selfish enough not to phase back in my human form so that I could have some peace, and, anyway, I would be completely naked. I didn't have my spare clothes with me. _

"_What about Nessie?" Quil asked. As a wolf who had imprinted, Quil understood, even if Claire was only about ten. Paul had imprinted, too, but on my sister…well, that was certainly different. _

"_I am, officially, out of love with her," I spoke in such low tones that I wasn't sure the guys had heard me, but apparently they had. _

"_Uh-oh, Jake, girl trouble?" Seth teased, suddenly appearing._

"_No," I snapped back at him. "Get your idiotic ass back to Leah Clearwater and your mom. NOW."_

"_Okay," Seth said sulkily, slightly hurt. A second later, he was human again. _

_Suddenly, I didn't care if I was naked. I phased back into my human form and finally found peace in the dark of the night, where I soon dozed off._

Nessie POV

In the morning, I received a letter from Scarlett, one of my classmates:

**Hey, all, it's Scarlett Vicki Reznett, your level schoolmate! You're invited to Geeks or Gods, the coolest party of the year! Of course, it'll be held by the person none other than me…! It's, obviously, more fun than a school party, although the people invited will be the same (NO PARENTS!), there's no boring speech from principals and prize-giving ceremonies! Come to my place this Saturday, at apartment no. 334 on Denvecosta Street. It's on the uppermost level so it's a two-storey apartment. Partying area is strictly downstairs. If I did not invite you upstairs, don't go there. The party starts at 2.30pm sharp, and ends at 7.30pm. Lunch is not provided so please eat before you come, but dinner is. It's the Cindy's Catering Service, if you're interested. Although the party officially ends at 7.30pm, you can leave earlier if you want. The dress code is absolutely anything. I don't want to limit you. You can come in your Halloween witch's costume, or a 1940 World War II Navy soldiers' uniform. You can wear your pajamas if you want, too. **

**Don't be late! **

**Any ****enquiries just check the school mail-book for my email and mail me, okay? **

**- Scarlett Vicki Reznett**

I smiled and held the letter close to my chest. It'd been awhile since I'd been to a party with my HUMAN friends. It was, like, two months ago since I'd been to my last party, Bethany's birthday party. I would forget about Jake, just for that few hours at Scarlett's party, and enjoy myself. Elizabeth, Bethany and Kara had been very sympathetic and understanding about the whole Jake-breakup situation, but not much help.

And then I had an idea.

Jake couldn't have betrayed our love like that, right? Lana had to have…well, bewitched him or something. Who cared if Scarlett's invitation said that no parents were allowed? Dad could very easily slip in to the party. Scarlett's parents or her housekeeper would never recognize him, not in a million years. And Scarlett only knew Dad as my "sister's boyfriend", aka Mom's boyfriend since Mom was pretending to be my sister. Dad could go in with a cover story that he was here to get something from me that Mom needed, so he could take it to her. Then, he could get close to Lana and read her mind. Surely she'd at least be feeling a little guilty, and thinking about how Jake had come to love her? I "commanded" Mom to remove her mental shield.

Dad instantly picked up the thoughts I were having. He entered my room (the door was open) and smiled.

"Of course, princess," he whispered in my ear as he picked me up and hugged me to him.

Suddenly, I broke away from him. Jake would still probably be with Lana and he'd definitely recognize Dad…Ah, I'd get guys from the pack, those who had imprinted and understood my misery, to distract Jake about an emergency meeting order from Sam, and then he'd have to leave Lana for at least awhile, right? Pack meetings were something he couldn't ignore, just to be with his lover.

Later that day, I went to La Push and told Jared and Quil about the plan. Jared was to inform Sam afterwards. I was leaving Paul out because he was going to shop for maternity clothes with Rachel (she's pregnant!).

On Saturday afternoon, after a lunch of mountain lions (without getting dirty), I stepped gracefully into Dad's white Mercedes and let him chauffeur me to Scarlett's party. Aunt Alice and Aunt Rosalie had styled my hair perfectly, so that it fell in gentle, curly waves down my shoulders in bronze glossy glory.

I was dressed in a dress that made me feel like a true princess. (Pic on profile) It was strapless and black, with crystal beads lining the front-down-middle part, and had lots of elaborate folds below the waist. The dress wasn't stiff like I had expected it to be; the material was very soft. Also, the dress had many a touch of elegance and classiness to it, sharp and revealing enough but not too much. I also wore a crystal bracelet on my left wrist and earrings to match. My shoes were hardly visible through the thick poof of the dress but they were custom-made black heels with crystal on the front.

Dad would wait till slightly later to appear at the party, and when he was there he had to look flustered and a little bit messy. Jared and Quil would, of course, come sometime earlier than Dad so that they could drag Jacob away before Dad made his move on Lana's mind. I was glad and very thankful for all their help. If everything went successfully, I'd be going out of Scarlett's house before her catered dinner arrived, with newfound knowledge, and hopefully a plan to stop all this Lana-loving madness. And, after I was out of the party, I'd planned to go shopping with Mom for gifts for Dad, Quil, Jared, and Sam. Of course, I couldn't think about the afterwards-shopping with Mom with Dad here, or it would spoil all the element of surprise. Sometimes it was convenient to have a mind-reading father. He could be a top detective, even better than Sherlock Holmes had been. But most of the time, it was just plain annoying.

When I arrived at Scarlett's, her housekeeper, Marie, greeted me. In one of her hands, Marie held a list of names Scarlett had invited. Marie's other hand was outstretched and then bent towards the gate in a gesture of welcome. Although Scarlett's place was an apartment within a building of many apartments, as it was located on the topmost floor the apartment, hers was the only two-storey apartment in the building, unofficially named as The Lavender, I didn't really know why.

"Name, please," Marie said, in the very thick, strong voice that made her voice recognizable beyond the rest.

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen," I said, slightly nervous of what was about to come.

"Ah…" Marie's index finger scrolled down the list. "Yes." She peered at me carefully. "Of course, the Cullen girl. Come on in, then."

As I entered the apartment, I glanced briefly at the large, old wooden grandfather clock in the hallway. It said 2.27. The party started at 2.30pm, right? Thankfully I wasn't late.

Arrows stuck onto the walls for the "Geeks or Gods" party showed me the right way to go. I soon found myself standing at the doorway of a large room, which I presumed to be originally white and creamy-colored but now with pulsing colors, shooting everywhere from a rotating disco ball hung on the ceiling. This had to be Scarlett's living room. At the side, a young man who was probably Scarlett's nineteen-year-old elder brother was acting as the DJ, blasting music from the stereos that were located one at each wall of the room. A few couples were dancing at the middle, which had been set up as a temporary stage, obviously meant to serve as a dance floor. There was a separate bar for drinks and snacks. A couple of tall guys whom I recognized as Leon and Jay were slouching in the corner, chatting and munching on hot dogs.

Another, larger arrow stuck to the top of one wall was a sign pointing to the restrooms. I was glad, because, if Jake showed up with Lana, which he probably would, it could be my escape if he did me any harm…verbally, anyway.

Then, behind the drinks bar, I spotted Mr Black and Ms Bernhardt, toasting their fruit punches to each other. Jake was dressed casually, in a loose gray tee and jeans. Lana was wearing a dress with a tight, silver sequin-embroidered bodice and a flirty pink miniskirt and too-high, cherry-red heels. Jake pointed to someone on the dance floor. He lifted the hair from Lana's ear and whispered something to her. She laughed. It made me jealous, angry and hurt. That girl had taken my place. It should have been me, me who was drinking and toasting and whispering and laughing with Jake now. Me. But I put all those feelings to the back of my mind because I knew that I would have my revenge soon.

I spotted Elizabeth, Bethany and Kara waving to me from the food bar and walked over. Elizabeth was dressed in her Florence Nightingale impersonation costume, eco-environmental style. Bethany was dressed in a baker's outfit, with a plastic chocolate cupcake glued onto her chef's white hat. Kara was dressed in a sparkly boob tube which matched the disco ball hanging from the ceiling.

"Hey," Elizabeth said when she saw me, "I made the bottom half of this outfit with garbage bags, washed and cleaned. I painted, trimmed and cut them to fit my size. I've never done an eco outfit before. You have to admit, it's tiring, but it's fun, too."

"She said the exact same thing when Bethany and I came, too," Kara told me, giggling softly.

Bethany spoke up. "You know, I still find it hard to believe that my mom actually let me borrow one of her older baker-chef outfits…" Bethany's mom was a chef at a five-star restaurant in town. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the name of that restaurant. Her mom was a very fussy, hygiene-and-safety-minding woman, and we all knew that Bethany often wished her mom wouldn't embarrass her in front of her friends by treating her like a baby. "I had to trim and trim and trim lots of material off before it could actually fit me!" Along with being fussy and embarrassing, Bethany's mom was, okay, I mean this is not very nice, but she's HUGE. She always looks so bloated, like she ate a ton of meat and then downed ten whole liters of Coke. No wonder Bethany had to "trim and trim and trim"…!

"And what's your inspiration for your outfit, Kara?" I asked.

Kara smiled. "Nothing much, really…" she blushed and looked away from Elizabeth, Bethany and my stares. Then I fully took in Kara's dress, with its up-to-mid-thigh, too-short-dress. Although strapless like mine, Kara's boob tube came down lower than my dress and it was seriously more revealing than I'd thought at the first glance. Kara looked over her shoulder, and then turned back to face us. "Okay, I'm only confiding in you because you're my best friends…right. So I just met this really cute guy in French named Jon, look over there, that's him with the dark curly hair and green-gray eyes, and…well, I think I have a crush on him."

"Trying to impress him now, are we?" Bethany guessed, although it was already plainly obvious.

Kara sighed. "Yes."

Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Jared. I moved my eyes and saw Quil beside him, still searching for Jake.

"Hang on a minute, I have to go to the bathroom," I told my BFFs before rushing off in the direction of the two pack guys.

"Jake…he's…over…there," I panted, breathless, after coming to a stop in front of Jared and Quil. I pointed to where he was still drinking and talking to Lana behind the drinks bar. "By the way, how did you get in here? You weren't on the guest list…"

Quil winked at Jared. "We werewolves have our own way of getting in…"

"…through jumping open windows when nobody is looking," Jared finished with a quick smile back at Quil.

"Oh, okay, wow," I replied, having heard of this little trick before. It was useful even for vampires, anyway.

Before I could say anything else, Jared and Quil had already disappeared off into the crowd, making their way towards Jacob Black.

I sent a mental message to Lana:_ Miss Boyfriend-Stealer Bernhardt…you won't have your stolen boyfriend to keep for long. _

I saw them talking to Jake and smiled to myself. Moments later, after Jake had gone, Dad appeared in their place, pretending to search for me but actually listening to Lana's thoughts.

Edward POV 

At first, I heard a lot of mental voices. With so many teens at this crowded-market of a party, listening only to Lana would be more difficult a job than I'd thought. So, I tried to block out the others and concentrate on Lana and her alone.

_Lana: I wonder if anybody else knows about the lov-_

_Jay: Look at that gal. She's hot. (I mentally curse Jay for interrupting just when Lana was going to say the words)_

_Geoff: Scarlett did a great job. _

_Kelly: I wonder if Aunt Giselle is still feeling sick… _

_William: OH HOLY SHIT! _

_Lana: I'm really starting to feel guilty for what I did to Jake. I wonder if his love is genuine to me. Well, I certainly didn't want to upset Jane, or Chelsea, but are their feelings worth the guilt and knowing that you don't deserve the love someone gave you so willingly? Hmm… But what did she say? That her leaders, Aro, Caius and Marcus, they instructed her to give it to me… _

_William: Fuck this. What's happening? _

_Geoff: God, just look at how creative Scarlett is. I wonder if she's ever thinking of dating…_

_Lana: Should I give him the antidote? Or should I just continue using the love potion on him? Renesmee's so upset…just look at her. And although Jake said that he didn't care about her anymore…Well, maybe it's just because I got mad at him, and I still am…? I shouldn't be having these feelings. I should be contented with what I have now already. _

Oh god. I tuned out and stepped out of the living room. I walked at a normal human pace back out the front door. The housekeeper eyed me, and I heard her thoughts loud and clear: _He's god damn hot…sigh. Well, Marie, you certainly have got your eyes on the young guys lately. You MUST be faithful to your husband. Look how he is to you, as an example…oh, who…ah, yes, the one who was handing something to Renesmee Cullen just now, her sister's boyfriend, wasn't it? Two of us are both, already, occupied…well; even a woman like me can have fantasies of her own, right? Gosh… _

I smiled to myself. Not a single soul would believe me if I told them the truth about Bella and I being Nessie's parents. Nessie would be so shocked if she knew what I'd just heard. There could be no doubting this; the Volturi had to have given Lana the potion, a love potion, as it seemed, to make Jacob fall in love with her and make Nessie heartbroken. I'm _not_ doing this for that mongrel; I'm just doing this for Nessie because she wants it so bad, and I'm not the kind of man who would let his daughter down. The question was, why hadn't Alice seen this coming? After all, vampires were her strongest point, and even if Lana had been involved, she _was_ still only human, and Alice would still have been able to see her.

Unless…

The only people Alice _couldn't_ see were werewolves, half-vampires, and animals. No sane werewolf would have helped the Volturi out. The only werewolf more mainly involved in this was Jacob, and he certainly hadn't been in the path of Alice's sight when Jane gave Lana the love potion. No animal, unless manipulated or hypnotized, could have even known what was going on, let alone help or get involved. It had to be a half-vampire. And the only half-vampires apart from Nessie were Nahuel and his sisters.

Was it possible that one of them had supplied information or in any way helped or get involved in all this?

Nothing was impossible.

I knew that I was supposed to call Nessie and tell her what I'd find out, but it didn't have to be _now_.

I got in my Mercedes and raced home. Luckily for me, only Emmett, Rose and Carlisle were out hunting today, so Alice would most likely be at home.

When I got back to the main Cullen house, sure enough, Alice was sewing a dress. Esme was in the kitchen, cooking, Jasper was in the room that he and Alice shared I didn't know doing what, and my darling wife Bella was curled up on the couch, reading.

"Alice!" I shouted. I watched her put away her sewing carefully and come over to my side.

"What?" she chirped, cheerful as always. Bella looked up from her book, smiling an amused smile, and then continued reading.

"About four to five days ago, or, rather, recently, have you had any visions of the Volturi?" Four to five days was my estimate of the time that had passed ever since Lana got hold of the potion.

Alice frowned, deep in thought. "Well, no, but if you say four to five days ago, I do remember having some very, very foggy visions of Aro, Caius and Marcus. But they weren't visions; there wasn't a story to it. Just pictures of the ancient Volturi leaders' faces. I didn't know why, but there didn't seem to be any danger or alarm to those pictures. Nothing has been heard from the Volturi recently, have there?" She assessed my expression. "So you think they've something to do with the mystery about Jacob, don't you?"

Bella looked up with interest from her book, but she didn't come over because this was one of my "private talks" with Alice. Everyone else knew it but they just didn't interrupt when we had these talks.

"I don't think, I _know_. I was at Scarlett's party just earlier today, remember? I heard Lana's thoughts. Thoughts don't lie."

Alice bit her lip nervously. "Well, does Nessie know?"

I blinked. "No, not yet. But Jacob is going to be back at the party any moment now, you know, after Jared and Quil dragged him out with some excuses about the pack. Reading their minds, it seems as though they planned to tell him that Sam thought it wasn't an emergency in the end, and, because Emily was feeling queasy, he needed to go. Sam's being very nice to Nessie. He's willing to take the risk that Jacob won't be liking him very much for the next couple of days because the guys dragged him off for practically no reason."

Alice got a lot while half-listening to me. "So, you think that Nahuel, the other half-vampire, or one of his sisters, might have been involved?"

It only took one word. "Yes." Alice didn't bother speaking to me through her mind because we both knew that Bella, and possibly Jasper and Esme, would be listening attentively as well.

"Perhaps we should make a trip to the Amazon…?" Alice suggested. The Amazon was where Nahuel and his aunt, Huilen, had been last living when we'd made contact with him three months ago. If Nahuel wasn't the one behind this, he'd probably know where his sisters with their father, Joham, anyway.

"We should go, you're right," I agreed. "Jasper, Bella, you and I will all go. That way, we'll all be with our mates and have the Cullens with special abilities with us."

Taking out my phone, I speed-dialed Nessie to fill her in with all the details, from the discovery of the love potion to the Volturi to the agreement that Jasper, Alice, Bella and I would be going to the Amazon. Nessie was shocked at just about everything and I certainly didn't blame her.

"Can I go with you?" Nessie asked hopefully when I finished talking.

"Well…" I looked across the room at Bella, my eyes finally resting on Alice. "I think it's better for you not to go, Nessie…"

"_Why_?" My daughter's stubborn nature was acting against me again.

"Nessie, we all know that this involves you very much and how much you want to help but this is dangerous. You can make yourself useful at home, like helping your Grandma Esme out in the kitchen and such-"

She cut me off sharply. "And you think I'll be able to sit still if my family is going on a "dangerous" mission without me, and knowing that it was all done for me and my fault if they don't all come back home in one piece? Hello, I _am_ a half-vampire and not some measly weak human teen girl like Lana Bernhardt is, okay?" She spat out Lana's name like acid on her tongue, and glanced at Bella before continuing. "I can understand why you stayed with Mom to accompany and protect her during times like when Victoria, Riley and the other newborns attacked, because she was human then and comparatively much weaker. But I'm not! Okay, so I admit that I'm part human. But the vampire half of my being is strong enough to be useful at any other place than at home, right? Is that what you've always thought of me? A useless daughter who couldn't do the human stuff or the vampire stuff because she was too strong for the humans and too weak for the vampires?"

I was startled by her outburst for a moment, and so was she. But, knowing Nessie, she'd probably be startled, not because she'd just spoken in a rude manner to her father but because she was at a human party and couldn't risk the humans hearing all about the vampire stuff.

I didn't say anything for a moment. Then Nessie whispered, very quietly, "Dad…? I'm sorry…"

"It's fine," I told her in an equally low voice.

"You don't have to go to the Amazon," Nessie said suddenly. I heard the sound of her light footsteps, hurrying somewhere. "I could just break into Lana's house and steal the antidote. But if she has it with her, well, then I'm sure I'd be able to get it, somehow."

"Ness, honey, we know that. We just want to find out what was the cause of Alice's not seeing this happening and who, exactly, was responsible." Whoever it was who had made my daughter heartbroken, I would get my revenge. Nobody could hurt my family, either physically or verbally or emotionally, and get away with it. Edward Cullen always hunted down the culprits who were hurting the innocent.

Edward Cullen would kill the idiotic half-vampire who had been involved in this with the Volturi.


	4. Enemies and Smiles

Chapter 4

Nessie POV 

At the party, I started eyeing Lana with a _very suspicious glance_. It turned to become glares as I saw Jake and her making out underneath the disco ball. The disco ball sent waves of purple, pink, blue and black light racing over the happy couple like they were the star of the show, and it made me more jealous, hurt and angry than I'd ever been in my life. Usually I got what I wanted, but life wasn't always rainbows and lollipops. Lana had been the first one to prove this fact to me, but she wouldn't be, oh not for long.

After they finally broke apart from each other, I stalked right over to them. I saw Elizabeth, Bethany and Kara chatting in the corner and I'd told them I'd needed to get Jake privately, and at least they'd granted me that privilege. Bethany nudged the others and they all looked at me. Elizabeth gave me a thumbs-up sign and they all gave me looks of encouragement and support.

I took a deep breath and stopped in front of Jacob and Lana. They swallowed their last mouthful of Coke. Jake took Lana's can as well and tossed the two Coke cans into a bin. _Wow, talk about precision, _I thought to myself, and found myself fantasizing about Jacob Black all over again. But, right now, it just wasn't the right time for this. Right now, I had to be prepared for the time of my life. It was time to show the true potential of Renesmee Carlie Cullen's WOS (Woman of Steel), and I knew it deep in my bones.

It took all the self-control I could muster not to throw Lana through a wall in front of everybody in school.

"Oh," Jacob sneered at me when he saw me. Inside, my heart sank. Outside, my face was completely expressionless, but cold all the same.

Gary Fendler looked over at me. "Look, Renesmee's gonna get her boyfriend back." My cheeks burned, but I ignored him.

"Renesmee, you're hot!" somebody else shouted. I smiled sexily and pushed out my B-cups.

"I need to talk to you, Lana. Privately," I added as I saw Jacob moving to position himself slightly in front of Lana in a protective manner. The sexy smile vanished entirely from my face.

"What is it that can't be said here?" Lana asked haughtily, and I resisted the urge to punch the shit out of her…again.

"A lot of things, Miss Know-it-All," I replied, refusing to be imitated by Lana's imposing figure and the russet-skinned ex-lover beside her, having decided that I would be of no threat to his "beautiful" Lana. "And now, if you would please come with me, you would know with very much satisfaction what you have always wanted to know."

Lana steadied herself on her heels. Ha, no balance. I'd been looking out for some of Lana's weaknesses lately in order to be able to make fun of her more. If I couldn't hurt her physically, then at least I could taunt her, verbally, like what most human girls did when they got pissed off. Pouting furiously, Lana came to stand beside me and followed as I led her out of Scarlett's living room and down the hallway.

"Let me go with her!" Jacob shouted behind us.

Before Lana could reply, I called back to him. "Don't bother, it's ladies' business, and, whatever it is, I'm sure you'll hear all about it from your _girlfriend_ when we get back, okay?" Yeah, that shut him up.

I continued to lead Lana, not stopping or even slowing down. Going in the opposite direction from the arrows that had led me straight to the party was easy, and so I soon found myself standing outside the front door, where other neighbours could easily see us. This was no place for a private confrontation with Lana, which I so desperately needed.

I punched in Scarlett's number on my mobile phone. She answered only on the fifth ring. I guess the party was loud.

"Uh, Scarlett?" I asked, trying to be heard above the party music, which I could still hear blasting from Scarlett's end of the line. I SO didn't want to waste time getting back up to the living room to talk to Scarlett.

"Yes?" Scarlett very nearly screamed.

"CAN WE USE YOUR BEDROOM?" I shouted. Lana looked over at me and rolled her eyes. _Try talking over this hellish music,_ I mouthed to her in return.

"NO. WHY DO YOU WANNA GO UPSTAIRS ANYWAY?" Scarlett challenged back.

"MATTERS ARE COMPLICATED, OKAY? PLEASE, IF WE CAN'T USE YOUR BEDROOM THEN LET US GO TO A ROOM UPSTAIRS, PLEASE SCARLETT PLEASE?" It'd been easy to plead with guys because I always flirted with them, but with girls it was different.

"USE THE BATHROOM THEN," Scarlett replied. "JUST GO UP THE STAIRS. IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO MY BEDROOM BECAUSE I CAN'T HAVE MY OWN BATHROOM UNTIL I'M EIGHTEEN. YOU CAN'T MISS IT. MY BEDROOM DOOR IS LABELED WITH MY NAME STICKERS."

I hung up when I had enough information. Motioning for Lana to come with me, which she reluctantly did, I found my way up the stairs. Sure enough, Scarlett's very own name stickers, printed in deep ink and written "**Scarlett Vicki Reznett"** all over, were on one of the doors, undoubtedly her bedroom. And next to her bedroom was a translucent whitish-peach door which just had to be the bathroom. I slid open the door and let Lana go in first before stepping in myself and locking the door behind me.

"Lana Bernhardt, I know you gave my boyfriend a love potion and that's so very wrong and that a woman named Jane gave it to you and I know everything and I demand that you give the antidote either directly to him or me RIGHT NOW or you're headed straight for _death_, okay?" I can't believe that I actually managed to say everything in one breath.

Lana crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know what you're talking about. These are just ravings of a madwoman. Don't you know that love potions only exist in fairytales?"

True. How could I tell her that I'd had a mind-reading father who had learned everything? "Well, the guilt is plain on your face and in your eyes." I had to say something, right? "I can see that, just by saying the words 'love potion'. I can see what it does to you when I say it."

Still, Lana remained firm. I'd been hopeful to soften her before, but definitely not through the layers of hatred between us. And what was the worst thing? Jacob, _my_ boyfriend, was on _her_ side.

"I can always sue you for putting words into my mouth and saying that I did things which I didn't do. Face it, Renesmee. Jacob is out of love with you because you're too boring and plain. If you don't believe me, ask him. He said so himself. People can break up and start new relationships, understand?" Lana spat the words out in my face. "And he's _my_ boyfriend now, you ugly, evil _bitch_."

I felt the fire raging throughout my body. "_You_ are calling _me_ a _bitch_? You should probably look in the mirror yourself. _You_ are the ugly one. If I could find a heart X-ray which could see through your thoughts and feelings, I would give it to you. You seriously don't know who you're calling _evil_ and _ugly_, and how professional you are in the ugly department. If anybody wanted to hire a makeup artist who would make them look like a ghost, they would, without a doubt, hire _you_. Honestly, Lana? You pretty much do look like a ghost yourself."

"I don't know why the fuck you are here. I don't know why you were ever born. You don't have any talent except for knowing how to piss people off like mad. The earth is just wasting resources to feed people like you, you know that? And I dare say that you're just jealous of the people like me, who are truly better than you _slobs_, you _sluts_. Don't think that, just because a ditzy guy said you were hot, you can come showing off to me. That's nothing. You haven't seen the world yet and that's why you're always thinking you're the best. You are the tiniest fraction of the people on earth. The reason I'm not going over my karate techniques with you is because you are very likely to whip out a knife and stab me. There are many people who love me and I want to keep myself alive and intact so that I'll put a smile on their faces when I go home. However, you, on the other hand, the people who _seem_ to love you, or even like you in the very least, are all fake, like Jake was. You think Jacob ever loved you? Well, I can prove you wrong. He said so himself, like he did."

"He's only saying that because you gave him the love potion," I retorted.

"…?"

"Prove that he really likes you. Give him the antidote. If he still likes you after that, then I give up; he really does love you. But if he returns to my side, I win. If he goes after another girl, neither of us, then we are officially even," I challenged Lana.

Lana was deep in thought. After a minute, she said, "Yes; I do really think that's the way…"

She fell into my trap! "So you're not denying the fact that you had a love potion to help you anymore?" I questioned, my eyes alight.

Lana gasped in horror. "No!"

I held up a fist to her eye.

"Well…" Lana was clearly unnerved by the fact that I could punch her just there and then. "Yes. Yes, I did. I had a love potion with me. So what? Did the government and law ever say that love potions were illegal? No!"

"That's because they didn't even know about the existence of such things. But put that aside now. You are to go home and come back with the antidote. RIGHT THIS SECOND. If you don't, you get a black eye."

_Lana Bernhardt (thoughts): I could try to trick Renesmee. Well, like, you know, give her a fake antidote or something like that. I doubt that, even if she says she knows everything, she's seen the potion and the antidote. A fake one would be just the way to go and then I'd get to keep Jacob with me… _

(Back to Nessie's POV)

I wasn't stupid. Even without Dad's powerful mind-reading gift, I could imagine what Lana was thinking: that she could fool me into leaving Jake by giving me a fake antidote. And that was why I issued another demand that was part of her deal to keep and that she couldn't refuse.

"Lana," I stated sweetly, "I think it would be better for me to go with you when you take the antidote for me."

I heard Lana's heartbeat and breathing quicken; a sure sign of the nerves she was having. Apparently I'd been right, after all, she _was_ planning to give me a fake one.

"Well?" I asked, getting impatient already. As a matter of fact, I didn't really get impatient and was quite patient _most of the time_, but I _did_ get impatient sometimes when facing my enemy…and Lana sure was classified under that category. Apart from "Her Majesty" Veronica and her posh friends, I wasn't sure that I'd had a real _human_ enemy before.

That is, until now.

"O-okay," Lana stuttered. Then again, knowing her and her devilish, cheating, lying ways, she'd probably make up an excuse to go to the bathroom or something, where I couldn't possibly follow her, and sneak the _real_ antidote in her pocket, flush it down, and emerge again with the fake one she'd been planning to give me.

"So. Now you take me to your place, and we'll see about the antidote." I wasn't taking any chances. I'd do whatever it took to make sure that Lana didn't cheat me of the antidote. She might think that she had it all, but she didn't. Better still, if I caught her in the act, it would be a pleasurable moment for her to try to explain her actions. Of course, that would probably show her true intentions. Whatever it may be, I was prepared to fight for my boyfriend. Physically, Lana couldn't compare with me. But if it was a fight of words, then _maybe_ she stood a chance against me. Or, at least, both of us thought so at first. And I couldn't think of a single reason why I wouldn't beat her in both physical and verbal fighting.

Lana drove her dark-blue car back to her house. I had to admit, the smooth leather seats in her car were comfortable, but nowhere near on par with my family's goddess-like luxury seats. And, in fact, she was a pretty good driver who followed all the rules on the road. I wondered if she'd chauffeured Jake anywhere, and thought that she'd probably had.

As we didn't talk at all on our journey, I spent almost the whole of the 20-minute trip thinking about ways how Lana would try to cheat me, and how I would outdo her. In the end, I found myself caught up in a round of Jacob-related fantasies, _again_. I pondered the number of times I'd had these fantasies in this week, and that the total sum must have been over a million. Yes, yes I had. I had missed him that much. I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life without him and that was precisely why I was so determined to win Lana. If it had been anybody else (apart from my family…but why would a girl my age want to be with one of my family members, anyway, even my "sister's boyfriend"), I don't think I'd have bothered, oh not at all.

As we neared the end of the highway, towards her house, the green light suddenly changed from yellow to red. Lana seemed like she was going to drive through a red light but, at the very last nanosecond possible, she slammed right on the brakes. I heard the very-audible screech of the tires skidding to a halt on the hard cement road. Looking out the passenger-seat window I saw some flaming orange-red sparks flying out from underneath the car. At least it was Lana's car, not mine.

"Fuck it!" I shrieked as the car finally came to a stop halfway in-between the path that we should have stopped and the path beyond the traffic light. I was thrown forward with a sudden lurch and, although the seatbelt secured me in place in my seat, it wasn't enough, and I heard the _plong_ as my head collided with the dashboard. I felt the pain surging through my brain and all my cells as I slowly sat upright again.

When I looked at Lana, she was sitting perfectly straight in the car, smirking, and her seatbelt tight around her slender waist. All around us, other people in other cars were honking furiously.

I stared at Lana. "What'd you do that for?"

Lana smirked again; ugh so annoying. At that moment, all I was asking for was the permission to rip her head off. Could anybody give that to me? Uh-oh, maybe not.

"Aren't my intentions obvious enough, darling?" Lana cooed in a sugary-sweet voice that came out sounding like she'd eaten one too many a portion of Good & Plenty.

And then, as Lana said those words, I became aware of her _true_ intentions: To hurt me as much as possible so that she could return me to Jake in an extremely imperfect condition, and so that he wouldn't want me anymore. Because Lana knew that only the love potion was binding them together and not true love, and that she couldn't possibly win if I got hold of the antidote. But Jake didn't look for beauty on the outside; he looked _within_ for what was truly _inside_. He wasn't a pimp who only looked for how beautiful that hot gal across the street was; no, nothing of the sort. So I knew that Lana wasn't going to give up, but I wasn't, too, not yet.

I rubbed my head. Despite being a half-vampire, that was _metal_ I had crashed into and of course it hurt.

Now, only one question was in my mind. "Why wasn't _your_ seatbelt affected when you braked so suddenly?"

Lana continued to smirk. "Duh, because I tempered with the passenger seat seatbelts, stupid."

That was enough. _I'd_ had enough. It was one thing calling me stupid and another thing to deliberately cause my head injury, although it probably wasn't serious. Any form of deliberately-caused injury was worth payback, especially with my enemies.

I didn't care that people were _still_ honking at us and that some had even gotten out of their vehicles to give us death glares and reprimanding. I didn't care that they said we were "reckless young people", because only Lana was and I wasn't (after all, she _is_ the driver). I didn't care that we had caused a major traffic jam.

Because Lana was responsible for everything on this site, including my injury.

And she'd better watch her back because I'm not someone who'd back down easily or get bullied.

My thoughts were running in a frenzy and I got so pissed off. If I'd been a werewolf, I would have phased straightaway.

My palm collided, hard, with Lana's cheek.

Lana cried out in pain and clutched at her cheek, desperately clawing at my palm, still stuck onto her pathetic little human face. Smiling deviously and ignoring the pain in my head, I slowly, torture-pain slowly, slid my fingers down Lana's cheek.

Where my palm had slapped her, there was now a big, white-turning-red, mark in the shape of my palm. And where my fingers were now slowly sliding down her cheek left streaks of blood, where I had scratched her. Hard.

I didn't even think of the temptation her blood would bring to my part-vampire senses. If I ever touched a drop of her blood, she'd know my secret. If I were to drink her blood, she couldn't get out alive or else she'd spread my secret. I didn't want a single part of her _in_ me.

Blood was streaming furiously down from Lana's cheek. I was shocked into silence, not because I'd hurt her but because of the utterly irresistible temptation her blood brought to me. My throat burned, even though I'd just fed before the party. I was sure that anybody could have seen the longing and thirst in my eyes. No animal's blood could compare with this.

But I'd trained myself for long, so long, before my family knew I would be safe for school. Would I let a measly human girl ruin all that I'd worked so hard for?

I didn't know that Lana smelled so nice and tempting. My senses were on high alert as I tried not to breathe and inhale the beautiful, sweet aroma that threatened to destroy my reputation and social life _forever_. How could something so beautiful and sweet-smelling be so hazardous to me? I saw myself through Lana's frightened eyes; no longer the teenage girl who'd laughed with her best friends at a party but a dangerous, life-sucking monster. My eyes were glowing and my hands trembling, my lips curled back as I let out a terrifying, guttural snarl.

I was thirsty and tempted like I'd never been before. It made me feel like a tracker vampire who hadn't fed for three months and had stumbled across a bleeding, weak human girl by accident. If I was really the tracker vampire, would I not have taken the chance? I would have. But, no matter how tempting, juicy and enemy-potential Lana was, we were in public and this was my schoolmate. I was a half-vampire who'd sworn to stick strictly to the vegetarian vampire diet and _only_ that.

Lana made no move to stop the blood trickling down her face. She was shocked, frightened, and, as I presumed, numb.

Unlike normal vampires, I couldn't survive without my oxygen supply. Slowly, I opened my mouth and breathed in through my mouth, hoping that the aroma wouldn't filter in to my body this way.

But, unfortunately, it did.

The moment I inhaled Lana's scent, I became deaf and unaware of the continuous honking around us. My mind focused only on the smell, blocking everything else out and telling me to go for it.

I couldn't take it anymore.

As I prepared to spring and sink my teeth into Lana's hot, wet neck, an instinct told me to stop. My arms instinctively wrapped around my stomach and I started shivering, even though it wasn't cold at all. I needed that hot blood to flow through my body and warm up my _senses_. I couldn't even think, let alone think about getting the antidote. Lana was deeply frightened and so was I. Unknowingly and unthinkingly I had unleashed the true monster in me, and Lana knew it as well. Could she have guessed what I was?

She couldn't.

If she had, that meant that she wouldn't make it out of the car alive. But people were staring at us like we were crazy! If I killed her, I would have to kill all of them, plus the pedestrians by the roadside too.

It all started with that idiot Lana by braking so suddenly and hurting my head. It was her fault. She deserved to die.

But I just couldn't bring myself to kill her.

I only had to know _one thing_. Had she known what I was, or at least half?

"Lana," I squeaked out, using my remaining oxygen supply. I was actually surprised at how long I'd managed to hold my breath. She cringed at my voice.

"No…" she whispered, backing against the door of the car. I made no move towards her, but yet she did not relax.

"I won't hurt you." That was it for my oxygen. Using all my willpower, I tore myself away from her gaze and opened the car windows. I wondered why I hadn't thought of that at first. I was instantly relieved by the amount of fresh air blasting in from the open window. I breathed in my first clear breath since the accident, and my sensed tinged with a breathtaking feeling I couldn't describe in words.

With my new oxygen, I shut the windows again. There was wind outside and it was blowing Lana's scent towards me. If I kept up this momentum, I wouldn't have to worry about the temptation so much.

"I'm so sorry, Lana," I gasped out. "I'm sorry that I hurt…you…I was too shocked to react…" I wondered if she would buy my excuse. "I wanted to help you, but you see I just _couldn't_. I have a phobia of blood…"

Luckily for me, Lana seemed to be convinced enough. Her blood had soaked the car seat partially. Taking an entire packet of tissues and a handkerchief, I handed them wordlessly to her.

Lana mouthed her thanks at me before carefully cleaning up the blood on her face and then the mess.

When the blood had at least clogged up and stopped, she turned to me. "And I'm sorry for hurting your head, too…" She motioned for me to bend down my head and I obeyed willingly, knowing she wouldn't hurt me further in this state.

She peered closely, examining my head and ruining my hairdo, but I didn't mind. Rubbing a sore spot, she asked, "This place?"

I nodded, unable to speak. She hesitated before continuing. "It's gone very, very red."

"It's okay, I'll heal." I found my voice back again. "What about you? Do you think it's serious?"

For the first time in my life, Lana Bernhardt actually smiled at me. No, it wasn't like she hadn't smiled at me before. But all those previous times were mocking, taunting smiles. This time, she smiled at me genuinely, like Elizabeth, Bethany or Kara would.

Still smiling, Lana shook her head. "Probably not, but I'll go for checkups just in case. And you should, too. I must say, you're pretty strong for a human girl."

I smiled back. It was genuine, too. "One of my cousins-" (I'm referring to Uncle Emmett, you know he's pretending to be my cousin) "he's a master in weightlifting and well, you know, all the different ways of fighting opponents and such, and he's taught me some. Lana, you should see my father. I guess you already know he's a doctor. Apart from treating me, he can treat you, too."

Lana shook her head again. "No thanks; it's fine. I have a family doctor, he'll do the job. I don't want to trouble your father. After all that I've done to you, your family's probably heard about me and…"

"Not at all," I told her firmly. "And I'm sure you'll have to pay charges for your family doctor as well." My eyes glinted mischievously. "My dad won't charge you anything."

"Serious? This isn't a scam is it?" Lana sure had her doubts.

I nodded. "Serious."

"I can't believe I was ever that mean to you," Lana said suddenly, and her words hit me like a pang of realization. If it hadn't been for the whole Jacob-and-love-potion issue, she might just have fit in with Elizabeth, Bethany, Kara and me.

When I was silent, Lana continued, "By the way, how did you find out about the love potion thing?"

Oops. That was a question I hadn't planned to answer.


	5. Designed to Kill

Chapter 5

**A/N: I know that this chapter might be straying a bit from the main conflict, which is NessiexJakexLana, but I thought I should make use of freedom and have a bit fun with this chapter…Anyways, I'll be getting back to you soon with the love potion thing and all, which is what inspired ****the title of this story. I just wanted some "bonding time" between Nessie and Lana, the two ex-enemies. Please review and for those without an account, I allow anonymous reviews so start reviewing now! Thanks & enjoy! **

Nessie POV 

How was I supposed to tell Lana about how my father had found out everything through his special, inhuman mind-reading powers? Even though the smiles and kind words previously had made it clear that we were supposed to be friends now, it was only about a minute ago! And, even with my three best friends, for much longer, I didn't have to tell them everything! We'd agreed that we wouldn't let our secrets stand in the way of our friendship before, but that was it. There was no rule saying that friends, let alone _best_ friends for that matter, had to be perfectly honest with each other. That wouldn't be fair. Everyone, from Chile to China, from Siberia to Switzerland, had the right of their own privacy. If there _had_ been such a rule, however, then I suppose I wouldn't have made any friends at all. I'd have isolated myself, hiding in a corner, while watching everyone chatting away happily, because I couldn't tell anybody about the existence of vampires, my true being, and the whole world of blood, temptation and darkness out there. Everyone would have been deeply frightened and, very likely, some wouldn't have believed me, and many wouldn't have even understood. I've always thought that vampire matters were something not everyone could understand easily, and that you had to be somehow linked, if not your being a vampire or half-vampire yourself, to truly understand the meaning of the word _vampire_. And, up till now, I still think that I'm right.

Although I was facing her, I didn't look Lana straight in the eye as I spoke. "I'm sorry, Lana, but my way of finding out is something I'd prefer you _not_ to know. It's complicated, and, as a matter of fact, dangerous if you found out. Just take it like a secret of mine…everyone has secrets, right?"

Lana nodded, but I could see the disappointment in her agreement to this. I really _did_ feel sorry. And even though I still bore some grudge against Lana for what she'd done to me, I couldn't risk her life telling her like Mom was put in danger when she was still human. If I'd talked about Dad, then I would have to tell her that the whole story about the Cullens was a big fat lie, which was just our cover, and I would have to tell her about vampires, about some vampires' special gifts, about the Volturi, about _everything_. There was absolutely no way of telling her something without having to reveal everything, so it was just best to keep my mouth shut. If she knew, we'd have to move _again_ and there was no telling how the story would spread. Humans weren't meant to know about vampires, they just _couldn't._

If I'd told her one thing, she would have asked for more, and I'd have ended up telling her the whole story of how anything and everything about vampires, and even werewolves maybe, came to be. I'd probably even have to blow Jake's cover, which was definitely not what I'd wanted. I wouldn't doubt that. If I were her, I _would_ have asked for more information, too. Just out of curiosity and perhaps a _little bit _of something else.

The main thing was, I still couldn't quite accept this newfound friendship of ours.

Wordlessly, I motioned for Lana to get out of the car. I knew she wouldn't be in danger outside because people wouldn't dare to do anything to her. Sure, they were honking and yelling and stomping their feet but that was just about all.

I, too, got out of the car, and slid myself quickly into the driver's seat. Knowing what I had in mind and appreciating the thought with a thankful smile, Lana went to the passenger door and hopped in.

Well, I just didn't want her to drive in this state of…injury. I hoped I could concentrate on the road enough not to think about the bloodlust and Lana's sweet scent and not cause a traffic accident or who knows what. Not that I cared enough for Lana to do this; after all I was still pissed off by her, but I didn't want to get injured _again_ because she couldn't drive properly, this time _not_ deliberately, of course.

FUCK.

Great. Just what I needed.

The traffic cops had arrived.

Everyone except us were shouting and pointing at us.

The cops were coming.

Apparently someone had called them, or they'd stumbled upon us by accident while on patrol.

Two of the cops were heading towards us.

And trust me, they absolutely did _not_ look happy.

Lana gasped in fear.

I revved up the engine and hit the accelerator.

The good car, responding to my needs, shot forward at once. Lucky for the two cops, they'd been standing (or walking) at the side of the car. If they'd been in front, no doubt they'd have been killed.

I saw one of the cops getting on his motorbike to follow after us. Before leaving, he gave some unintelligible instructions to the others. Now entirely focused on the road ahead, the cop was damn _fast_.

He looked like a Ferrari driver getting prepared for the race of the night, and I shuddered at the thought.

I didn't even look at where I was going. Lana kept whispering "quick, quick, hurry!" I ignored her, not really knowing what to do.

It was then I'd caught sight of the speedometer. Wow, I was going at a steady…160? That had been faster than I'd ever gone. If the cop ever caught up with us, then he'd have more to talk about than just our causing a traffic jam. 160 was _way_ past the speed limit of 90.

Sure, Jake had taken me on a wild 200 ride before, but that was when _he_ was driving. I'd only ever gone so much as 135 before. 160 _was_ setting a new record, maybe even faster than Aunt Rosalie or Uncle Emmett's.

It didn't even bother me that I was speeding terribly. Nothing could bother me more now than to escape. Even though I knew I could easily pay for the fine, I didn't want to leave a black mark on my once-perfect record. No, when you think of nerds and geeks, you didn't think of me. I didn't _really_ care about my school grades but I usually aced them all (I'm not being arrogant but you know what I mean). But I cared about not doing illegal stuff. However, the showdown with Lana inside the car had really been something that I had long been waiting for. It was just like a disaster; it was only the matter of time, whether sooner or later. Disasters were bound to happen, like on a collision course.

Something waiting to happen.

My fast driving was the only thing that could save Lana and me now. I was glad I'd decided against having Lana drive because she was far too panicky to be able to drive, let alone drive _fast_.

The speedometer slowly inched its way past the 160 mark. The maximum speed for this car was 240.

"Lana," I spoke through gritted teeth, winding a sharp bend that made me have to slow down to about 153. "Would you turn behind and see how the cop is getting on?"

Lana whipped her head around. I couldn't see her but I could tell her speed by the sudden air that rushed past me at her motion. "He's slightly "left behind" now, but if you want to get free of him completely you need to drive. Fast. Holy freaking shit, he's gaining on us now. He looks dangerous and angry and, well…never mind how he looks like now. Just get going fast, Renesmee, please!"

Lana had given me the information needed. She _was_ a good messenger girl, come to think of it. My foot pressed down on the accelerator with such force that I was surprised it didn't snap into half. The car picked up speed again and very nearly hit 180. Turning around again, Lana reported, "The cop's getting left behind…again. I don't know if he'll start speeding up on us like just now, but we'd better leave him far, far behind if we're gonna want a lead." She paused, hesitating. "Where _are_ we exactly?"

I was getting more and more frustrated by the moment. "Do I look like a map?" I snapped, causing Lana to jump. "Anyway, I don't know. As long as we steer clear of this cop, we can always go back to where we want, ain't it?"

Lana wasn't certain, but she agreed with me anyway.

Ugh. I pushed the car again, till it hit a splendid 195. If I kept on going, perhaps I'd have broken Jake's 200 record, but I thought 195 was enough. _Let him keep that record, to have him happy._

Steadying the new 195 which I'd just hit, I was amazed at the thrill of driving at such high speed, and for a split second I understood why and how people could be addicted to speeding. Doing a quick calculation in my head, I realized that I was going a whole 105 above the speed limit…WOW.

But, as normally people didn't drive at speeds even _near_ this 195, it was hard controlling it so that it could _remain_ at 195. I slipped a little, and it became 190.

I didn't hear Lana reporting anything, so I guess 190 was quite safe a speed to go.

"What's the new cop report?" I asked Lana.

"Ever since that last bend," Lana answered carefully, "I've lost sight of him. But I think we'd better be careful because they might be planning to trap us somewhere. And, next time when we drive, we need to stay _very_ obedient. I don't want them to be able to find us, even after all this. You know, like we're wasting your efforts right now?"

I nodded, barely finding enough time and concentration to speak. I was having a hard enough time listening to Lana already. Maybe the vampire half of my being had helped me a little…I wasn't sure. But what I _was_ sure of was that, if Lana had been in my place as the driver right now, I would still have driver better than her.

Just then, turning sharply to the left, I caught sight of a sign saying "Golden Sparrow Village" and pointing to the direction in which I was going. Well, I guess we were pretty far from Forks now, at least a good hundred and fifty miles from the "traffic jam site". I'd never heard of the Golden Sparrow Village before…

Ah, well, yes, I remembered the time when I'd had some local geography homework I hadn't done. Knowing I couldn't possibly finish it all in time for school, I skipped breakfast and went straight up to Grandpa Carlisle's study. There, I'd "borrowed" one of his great, big old books on geography, and copied everything into my homework. I remembered seeing a Golden Sparrow Village a distance from Forks. It was a _village_, and you'd probably picture a lane lined with neat, orange-roofed cottages on each side, and a couple of shops at the corner. But, no, thanks to my inhumanly good memory, I'd remembered that Golden Sparrow Village was one of the largest villages for miles and miles around, spanning a couple hundred miles across and a hundred and seventy-six miles beyond the "entrance point". There had been some extra information on Golden Sparrow Village but, as I'd been in a hurry back then, I hadn't really bothered to check. All I knew was that, as a village larger than any other I'd seen in my life, it was home to several thousands of people.

Now, the population was less than ten thousand. You'd wonder why. It's because the houses there were spaced out, quite evenly, but quite far away too. Your neighbor wouldn't be for some hundred meters away. However, there were very many a variety of shops there.

I make my point clearer. There was a wide _variety_ of shops, not the _number_ of shops. My estimation was that, as there was a nice variety, there would only be one, or at the most two, of each kind of shop. And then, remembering information from a tourist booklet I'd read before at an airport, Golden Sparrow Village had, really, _all_ kinds of shops, from a bar to a bowling alley to a bakery (although some you wouldn't consider as a shop. I just mean a "business", as a term, okay?), from a florist to a spa to a boutique.

I decided to head to Golden Sparrow Village. I'd _probably_ be able to find my way back afterwards, and I'd send a text to Dad or Mom or somebody in the family to tell them not to worry. I'd be safe.

Lana was with me, right?

Ha, not that she'd make much a good protection. _I'd_ probably be the one to protect her if there was any danger. But I knew Lana was good at geography. She'd get us home…_right_?

By the time we reached Golden Sparrow Village, night had already begun to fall.

Lana and I, with the money that we had with us, bought two sandwiches at a fast-food station and sat on the curb to eat. She'd ordered her sandwich with lettuce, ham and cream cheese, whilst I'd ordered mine with lettuce, mushroom and mayonnaise.

How could so much have happened in just one day?

It'd all started at the party, Scarlett's party. The party which we'd left abandoned and had probably already ended. Jacob would be frantic, not for me but for Lana. We'd also left the antidote behind.

Two girls, ex-enemies, just made up, like, not so long ago, sitting at an unfamiliar village eating sandwiches together?

It was sure something you didn't see every day.

As Lana and I finished our sandwiches and dumped the wrappers in the bin, we were now faced with another problem: our lodging for the night?

We couldn't possibly make it back to Forks before bedtime. It was too late. I sure hoped my family wouldn't mind me staying overnight here.

Dialing Mom's phone number, it _rang_ and _rang_ and _rang_. Finally, after what seemed like ages, a woman's deep voice spoke, "The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable and is currently out of the area's signal. Please try again later. If you wish to leave a message, please speak after the beep." Before the beep, I'd hung up.

I realized that Mom, Dad, Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper had already left for the Amazon, or were already there.

Adding the overseas call number in front of Mom's number, I dialed again. Still no answer. Hmph, they were either on the flight or busy.

I tried Dad's number, and Aunt Alice's, and Uncle Jasper's. All without answering my call. They went straight to voice mail. It was that annoying woman's voice _again_. I didn't bother to leave a message or text them because I didn't see the point. They'd probably be back home without even checking their voice mail inboxes _or_ their texts.

Sighing with frustration, I looked beside me to where Lana was sitting. She, too, was dialing home, and was already speaking to who I presumed was her mother. Realizing that I had no choice, I dialed Aunt Rosalie. She picked up on the first ring:

_Me: Hi, Aunt Rose. I'm Nessie. _

_Rosalie: Yes, hello. Where have you been? We went to Scarlett's earlier to ask if they had any clue of your whereabouts, and the answer was no. Scarlett said that you just disappeared off with Lana Bernhardt after using her…bathroom. Would you please explain?_

_Me: I'm so sorry, but it's very complicated. Long story. I promise I'll tell you when I get back, okay? Anyway, I'm now in Golden Sparrow Village with Lana. We're planning to spend the night there. I'll be back home…tomorrow, I hope in the morning, as soon as I can._

_Rosalie: Wait…do you have enough money?_

_Me: Oh, well, I guess I do. I'll be combining with Lana. Hopefully there's an inn here which is affordable, and they can let us stay for the night. I tried dialing Mom, Dad, Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper, but not a single of them picked up. Are they at the Amazon already?_

_Rosalie: Yes, I think so. Their flight was due to arrive in the late afternoon today, so I suppose they've already reached. They promised to call Carlisle when they were planning to come back home. Your uncle Emmett and I, and your grandparents chuckle, we'll have to make do with so many members of the family's absence. Well, anyway, be safe, sweetie. I still don't trust that girl, Lana, but if you do then I'm fine with it. I'll get back to you with any information on the Amazon party, is that alright?_

_Me: That's all we can do, anyway. Bye. _

_Rosalie: I'll update you as soon as I can. Bye. _

I heard the soft "click" as Aunt Rosalie hung up. I did, too. Glancing briefly to my side I saw that Lana had already finished her call and was waiting for me.

"Let's go," I whispered to her. Keeping close to each other, although not touching, we set off into the night.

As we entered the Golden Sparrow Inn, I noticed the fancy decorations and statues in the inn lobby and thought this too expensive to be affordable for the two of us, but there was no harm in trying anyway.

Tentatively we approached one of the receptionists behind the lobby counter. She was quite pretty; tall with eyelash curls, brown highlights in her dark strawberry-blonde hair and clear lake-on-a-sunny-day blue eyes which reflected sunshine and charisma. Her name tag read "SHANNON".

"Welcome to the Golden Sparrow Inn, ladies, the most fabulous and style-stunning address in all of Golden Sparrow Village," Shannon greeted us. Lana giggled nervously at the way she said "ladies". "Do you have reservations?" Shannon continued, startling us both.

I gulped. "We don't have reservations but we w-"

Shannon cut me off; her face had changed entirely, from the radiant smile to a half-smirking, half-angry expression. "If you don't have a reservation, then get lost. As you can see by the elegant and classy furnishing of the inn, we only accept lodgers with pre-reservations and…oh, well, I suppose you girls have to spend the night on the doorstep of the inn, watching guest after refined guest enter to-"

This time, I cut her off. "If you can't provide the lodging that we need, _Shannon_, then I suggest you not wasting your breath to advertise the inn. Oh, and Lana," I said, very purposefully, telepathically asking her to play along, "of course we'll find another, better, kinder inn which will take us in and not because we don't have a reservation but because we can afford it, won't we? Why would we have to spend the night outside, right on the very doorstep of an inn which won't even accept us, hmm?"

Lana got the message. "Too right. Let's go!"

Without a second glance at Shannon, both of us flounced out the door of the Golden Sparrow Inn and continued on our journey.

Before long, we came upon a small inn which boasted a "high-quality bar", or so it said on the advertisements posted outside, and looked to be affordable enough.

Lana gave me a nudge and I nodded. We went in, told _this_ receptionist what we wanted. This inn's name was the Pearl Inn, simple but sweet. And this receptionist was the lone receptionist. The inn was small and compact, consisting of four floors, the basement being the bar, the first floor being the lobby, and the second and third floors being rooms for the guest. This receptionist was a male.

"The Pearl Inn is cheap but good. You can always find what you want within these four walls," the receptionist said. His name was Nigel.

"How much do we have to pay for one night's accommodation?" I asked. We'd parked Lana's car at an overnight carpark just outside of Golden Sparrow Village. The carpark was really made up of a big patch of grassland…and the parking was _free_.

"As I said," Nigel began, "Pearl Inn is cheap. Fifty for one night and two people, please." Nigel wasn't dressed like Shannon _or_ her colleagues. Shannon was dressed in a tight black dress and heels. Her male colleagues were dressed in formal-looking black business suits and matching black pants with a tie and white shirt underneath. Nigel was dressed in a loose-fitting, faded yellow tee, Bermuda shorts, and home slippers.

I emptied my purse: Twenty-three dollars total. Lana, too, emptied hers: Twenty dollars. I sighed at the total sum: Forty-three dollars.

But Nigel's face lit up as we pushed the money towards him. "Seven dollars short, but that's not any short, really. I give you the seven dollars free. Forty-three dollars for the pretty ladies." He leaned in and whispered to us, "I suggest you go check out the bar. Normally countries allow you to enter bars only at eighteen." He paused. "How old are you?"

Lana answered for me. "Seventeen."

Nigel nodded and smiled. "Sixteen is the permit for the Pearl Inn bar."

"That…that's illegal, isn't it?" I asked, my voice an octave higher than usual.

Nigel shook his head. "Not by Pearl Inn regulations. And, of course, if you're afraid of being illegal, just take your age as eighteen. You can pass for a year older."

Still smiling, Nigel handed us the keys to our room: a _shared_ room. "Room number 215, just go up the stairs, and turn to the right. The room number is on the door."

I took the keys from Nigel and murmured my thanks. With Lana right behind me (I could hear her _loud_ footsteps), I made my way up the old, rickety brownish-black stairs, stained with something I couldn't really put my finger on. The low grasp bar beside the stairs was so rusty that I dared not touch it. It seemed as though Nigel had clearly exaggerated the fact about Pearl Inn being "cheap but good". Cheap, yes, it certainly was. Good? I wasn't too sure.

Coming to the top of the stairs, I turned right, just like Nigel had given us the instructions. Strange. Usually at inns or hotels there was somebody to greet you at the counter beside the receptionist who would bring you up to your room instead of having you walk by yourself, but I guess with Pearl Inn they couldn't afford to employ somebody to do it, or they simply didn't bother enough? Oh, well.

Nigel was right; the room number _was_ on the door. Surprisingly, I found myself dog-tired. Flicking the key into the keyhole and turning it quickly to the left, I handed the keys over to Lana. Slipping into the inn room, she locked the door behind her. And I collapsed onto the bed, burying my head in the pillow (thankfully they'd given us two _separate_ beds). I heard Lana's footsteps, her breathing and her heartbeat in the still silence of the room. Sliding open what must be the bathroom door, seconds later I heard the sound of the water rushing down from the pipe. Hmm, Lana's in the bathroom, probably going to have a shower, and then I'll have the room all to myself.

It was only looking down at myself, taking off the pillow, that I realized that I was still wearing my princess dress…it had actually _survived _all that crazy stuff I'd been doing since we'd left Scarlett's party? I'd thought the dress to be extremely delicate and picked well under the hands of my two fashion-loving aunts. Perhaps they'd picked this dress in a material both soft and strong. It'd been a good choice they would never have to regret. I'd thank them when I got back.

And oh! Why'd Mom and the others gone to the Amazon so fucking early? I'd planned to go shopping for thank-you gifts with her for the people who'd helped me, hadn't I? I guess it was all gone for me now.

Trapped in an old inn room with a girl whom I'd just very recently and openly fought with was not my idea of a nightmare, but you get my point. After all, I'd never thought that this could happen to me.

So I lay on the bed, thinking.

I jumped up from the bed in a movement so sudden I'd startled myself as well. I couldn't possibly wear this princess dress until I got home, right? Or, at least, the _same_ piece of cloth, only in a _different_ style. With a sly smile on my face, I wondered what my aunts would think about my so-called creativity.

Luckily, Lana was having a shower and she wouldn't see me putting my vampire strength into action. I secretly thanked Dad for giving me most of the vampire traits-the sharp senses, the strength (though mine is still significantly weaker than full vampires), the memory…

I tore off my princess dress, sat on the bed and began tearing the dress at different, precise angles, knowing that my tearing of perfectly straight cuts wouldn't have differed to a dress like this under a professional's hands. In just a matter of minutes, I had turned what a fancy royal gown was into a still-strapless one-piece. The top was quite similar to the original, only that the long, floor-length bottom had been transformed into a mini which reached till my lower thigh. I'd thrown off the extra material, only leaving some to make a frill at the very bottom. I was surprised that the frill actually _stuck_ when I stuck it onto the dress with my saliva (look, I know it's gross, but still, you make do with what you have), which most of the time, cloths don't.

Anyway, so I'm saying that Lana came out of the bath wearing the same old clothes she'd been wearing before and she looked amazed when she saw me. "Wow! How'd you…"

My smile faded. It was just like explaining how I'd come to know about the whole love potion situation. Being involved in vampire business, which is a big secret, don't think it's easy, because it's not. "I…I found a pair of scissors…in the…bedside drawer." I pointed to the little wooden drawer positioned between our beds.

"Oh?" Lana stated flatly. I'd just decided that, with my secrets, lying would be a better way…well, maybe not.

Lana tugged on the drawer; it took sometime before the thing would open.

The drawer was empty.

Fucking shit. How could I explain that?

I couldn't let my face show guilt, could I?

I feigned surprise and innocence; hoping my acting could at least earn me a pass. "Oh! Well, what'd you say; it was there just a moment ago!" I pretended to think. "Ah, yes, knowing the standard of Pearl Inn, don't you think a rat took it away…oh…"

Lana shut the drawer and it fell back almost immediately with a sharp _pang_. "Well, I suppose this is another "secret" of yours, isn't it?" she asked, obviously not buying it. "Just like in the car, about your knowing all about the love potion thing. I guess everything's linked, huh? You said it was "complicated". So, tell me."

I paused. "Well, yes, but I just didn't want you to see me as a liar…" Actually, I was only being nice. Who cared what Lana thought of me? _Lana_, of all people?

Lana sighed. "I understand that. Everyone has secrets…you think I haven't kept secrets from you? Trust me; no two people can _ever_ be perfectly honest with each other."

I didn't bother to answer anymore. What was the point?

"Hey," Lana said suddenly, "you wanna go to the bar? Nigel said-"

"You believe a single word that ugly pedophile?" I asked. I couldn't help if I got cranky. Right now, all that I just wanted was to be back home, tucked in by my beloved mother, and curled up cozily in my fresh rose-petal scented mattress to sleep. Well…maybe that "just" shouldn't be there.

Lana crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. "That's not very nice." She spoke like she was a kindergarten teacher and I was one of the "naughtier" students.

"Neither are _you_," I retorted before sinking back down into the pillows. I tried to build a fort around myself but lacked one pillow. The only thing I could find good about Pearl Inn was its pillows. They were soft and fluffy, and although of course worse than the luxury 3000-thread-count bedspreads and pillows I had at home, they were considered good for an inn of Pearl Inn's standard. And they had _two_ pillows, whereas I'd expected only _one_.

Groaning inwardly, I leaned over and grabbed one of Lana's pillows to complete the fort. Lana tried to grab the pillow out of my fort but I grouchily swung her backwards. She managed to steady herself right before she crashed into the door.

Lana grabbed the handle to hold herself upright in balance. Still glaring at me, she said, "Obviously you haven't gotten over your grudge to me, or is it your being eccentric, or going to the bar, hmm?"

"Who gets over emotional issues like boyfriend-stealing so easily and quickly?" I muttered, half to myself. Still, I wasn't surprised to find that Lana had heard.

"Look, I _do_ really love Jacob and if you would just, please, see that we made the perfect couple and-"

I had no patience for her to finish the whole sentence. I mean hello? Jake was _not_ a toy that could be lent to my classmate at any time I wasn't occupied with him. He was a living, breathing person who was just about amazing as I could ever think of and he was _mine_. I took a deep breath to hold myself in position and not destroy the fort and lunge straight at Lana, standing awkwardly across the room.

"Puh-lease, Bernhardt, which planet did you come from? Anybody would know that Black would _not_ have loved you if not for the love potion. He loves _me_ and that's before you _snatched_ him away from me. If not for the effects of the love potion, we would all have been safely at _home_ now and not at some stupid inn in the middle of nowhere!"

Lana blinked. "Okay, so I'm sorry for everything but-"

"NO BUTS," I very nearly screamed my lungs out at her. "You _should_ be very sorry. Right now you should be kneeling on the floor trying to win my forgiveness and kowtowing and…You know you're in the wrong. If you don't then I classify you as officially crazy. Mad. Eccentric. Insane. Oh, whatever."

"Who are _you_ that I should be kowtowing before you?" Lana challenged. I was almost going to explode. I threw her pillow back onto her bed.

"Fine, let's go to the _fucking_ bar," I shouted, furiously unlatching the door and standing in the doorway, propping open the door with my fingers. "Get here _right now_."

The bar was hard to miss; in a way that could only be understood when you saw it for yourself, but in a simplified version it's just that it's a very typical bar. It wasn't at all downgraded like I'd imagined it would be; in fact, it would easily make for the best area in all of Pearl Inn. The glass in the window and door, the dark-paned _green_ glass, was slightly stained and dusty, but a young guy, only about twenty or so, was cleaning one of the upper windows. Well, maybe Nigel _hadn't_ exaggerated when he'd introduced the inn's bar to us at the reception counter.

Upon entering, Lana and I were greeted by a tanned college guy in a school sweatshirt and jeans; he was the type which many girls would have drooled over, and _very_ tall. Even taller than Jake, this is, as you can, by now, definitely see what I mean.

"Ages?" the guy asked. His voice was deep and rich, and surprisingly myself I found it actually _alluring_. Had it been because I'd been away from Jake for some time that I'd started to notice other guys, which I hadn't before?

Before I could answer (which I did _not_ want to), Lana shot me a glance as she replied, "Eighteen for both of us."

The tall guy, which I'd secretly nicknamed Giraffe Guy, smiled _down_ at us. "Great. So I presume you'd like a booth, yes?"

Again, it was Lana who answered. "Yeah, sure. That'd be cool."

Giraffe Guy led us to a booth in the corner with exactly two seats. The bar, I took note, was colorful. Each table/booth/loveseat was a different colour, maybe repeating the pattern every twelve colours. Our booth was painted a bright yellow. It looked very cheerful compared to the booth beside us, which was a dark muddy brown, and for that I was glad. At the north wall of the bar was a drinks' station where a bartender was mixing juices, and in the centre of the room was a dance floor like at Scarlett's party, and couples were whirling about.

My gaze traveled across the room. One couple, a blonde who looked to be in her early twenties and a guy her age with curly black hair were practically fucking each other on the largest loveseat there was. The woman had only her lingerie on and the man his boxers. They weren't _literally_ fucking each other, only that the man had his fingers in the woman's panties, and the woman's in the man's boxers. It wasn't romantic at all; it was just downright _gross_.

At the south wall, directly opposite the bartender, three girls in matching silver bikinis and black knee-high boots were dancing and amusing some men who were seated in couches in front of the girls. It looked more like a nightclub than a bar. Probably Nigel hadn't got a high-level education and he'd got his vocabulary wrong…

Lana got up from her seat. "You want to get a drink?"

I was, admittedly, lazy to get up. "Can you just get me a drink?"

"What do you want then?"

I sighed and waved my hand aimlessly in the air. "Oh, you know, just ask the bartender which drink has the highest alcoholic amount, and get me that drink."

"It's your first time, _riiiight_?"

"Does that even matter?"

"Don't you think you should try something safer first…"

"N-O, it spells _no_. It's my business, my drink, my body, so why don't you rush along to get that drink for me and meanwhile decide what you want to get for yourself?"

I heard Lana sigh as she hurried off.

When Lana got back, I was already drinking from a glass that a kind gentleman had left me. He'd called me 'hot' and 'beautiful', of course that wasn't the reason I'd accepted his drink, but because I was too impatient for Lana to get back. I was _thirsty_, not in the vampire way but in the human way.

I asked Lana to set the drink on the table, thanked her, and finished the gentleman's drink in the next gulp. Then, I grabbed the glass Lana had gotten me and drank it _all_ up.

"What's this drink?" I called at her.

She blushed. "I didn't really pay attention, you know…? I just got you the drink with the highest level of alcoholic content, like you asked…"

I nodded, satisfied. I was grateful enough that Lana had willingly done me this favor (although personally I would _never_ be grateful to Lana, not even if she gave me the antidote. Let's just say that I'm glad because I count myself a good actress, so I can pretend that I'm sincere in my thanks).

I drank a lot that night. I couldn't help myself. I wasn't _addicted_ to drinking; I just wanted to drown in myself and enjoy for this one night. I was only partly aware of Lana's voice, asking me to stop drinking at go back with her to Room 215. I didn't listen. I simply didn't care.

Lana was restricting my freedom.

I'd never been much of a "beer girl", and didn't intend to be, but _this_, however, was different. And so I really didn't notice much when I slouched forward on my seat and drooped. All night, guys from up the nightclub-slash-bar had flirted with me. Most of them I'd rejected. And some…well, I didn't exactly _accept_ them, I only accepted their drinks and then dismissed them off with a wave and some words of goodbyes. Had I learned not to care about Jake anymore?

I certainly hoped not.

I only remembered that I was fighting my heavy eyelids, and silently willing myself to stay awake. I couldn't risk falling asleep or going unconscious lest some other drunken old male would try to take advantage of me.

I squinted to make out Lana's figure, which was slowly backing out the door with wary glances at somebody whom I didn't know.

I was too tired to keep fighting. Why not just let myself go? I'd be unleashing the true Renesmee soul in me just for this one night, where I'd enjoy myself, have fun, and then go back to living the life I'd been living before the love potion. Right now, I resented and hated the love potion with all my being. Only had its appearance made my life difficult. I'd been so carefree and happy all the way back before this.

The Volturi, especially Jane and Chelsea, had done this.

Lana Bernhardt had done this.

Jacob Black had succumbed.

Nobody had given me any useful support.

So right now I was just downright pissed with anyone.

Particularly those foolish ones who came in my way.

Vengeance burned in my veins and threatened to overcome me and reveal my vampire half, the half that had been designed to kill.

That had been designed to be a dangerous, powerful monster.

I sank down into unconsciousness.

When I woke up, maybe a couple of hours later, I screamed.


	6. On a Mission

Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys, I know I've been doing all Nessie's POV for these couple of chapters, and I'm apologizing to you if you think I should have others' POVs, like for example Lana's or Jake's. But, like you will see in the chapters of Nessie's POV, I couldn't really have done any other person's POV, and you get the plot anyway. I'll try to include others' POVs soon and update. Review please! **

Nessie POV

I screamed because there was a fucking hairy man on top of me. He was grinning down at me. I was numb with shock. As I came to realize that I was completely naked and that he was too, I screamed even more. And that's when I saw where several of his fingers were.

On my breasts.

"You!" I shrieked beneath him, unable to make my lips form around anything else. "You _bastard_! Where have you taken me and what are you doing with me?"

Undeterred, the man's hands ran roughly across my nipples and scratched them lightly. I shrieked and screamed and kicked and yelled, bending his hand back towards him with my strength. "You think any man would have the power to resist you, a sexy young beast like you, lying unconscious and drunk and draped across a chair?"

This man, whoever he was, would not be going out of this room alive. I'd kill him, just like Aunt Rosalie had done with her ex-fiancé, Royce King II. And, similarly, I'd be very careful not to spill his blood because I wouldn't want to risk having any part of him _in_ me. He didn't stand a chance against me.

"Oh, I'm Gregory," the man introduced, still daring to smile. "Why don't you stay with me? I'll treat you to everything the finest, and in return you will give yourself up to me every night…you don't look like you're a native of Golden Sparrow Village, don't you?"

"I don't have to answer any of your questions," I snapped. "I don't even know you." I twisted myself out of Gregory's grasp. He tried to hold onto me with all his might but he just wasn't strong enough. Human sissies like Gregory even thought they could try to stand against a half-vampire? I almost laughed out loud. Impossible.

Grabbing hold of a metal chair near me, I wrenched out two of the legs forcefully and held them, one in each arm, out in front of me. Gregory seemed shocked at my incredible, inhuman strength. I might not be a full vampire but my two uncles and father had trained me before and I'd grown stronger than ever, possibly enough to cover for a three-quarter-vampire…although there was probably no such thing that ever existed.

Seeing the latch and the keyhole being turned over in the door, I realized with a jolt that it was a two-way door and that it had been locked from both inside and outside. Gregory must have the key…or keys.

Gregory prepared to launch at me. I saw through his mind, that his great thirst for my body had not been quenched at seeing my wonderfully pleasant strength.

As he very nearly flew through the air, I hurled one of the metal legs at his forehead, my aim not off by a mark. It struck him, and I gasped, wondering if this move would make his blood flow.

Holding my breath painfully, I carefully approached Gregory, who had been knocked out cold and sprawled out on the floor. I threw down the other metal leg and grasped his neck around in my hands, and attempted to strangle him.

That's when I saw his face turning a dark shade of purple and his breathing hitching to a stop. Laying one of my hands against his chest, to my delight I found that his heart was not beating. I kicked him once more; he was knocked against the bed and slowly sank down back to the floor again. I cursed him under my breath and hoped that his soul would bang down into the deepest pit of Hell.

The room was a mess. I searched for my clothes but could find none. I couldn't find his, either, and realized he must have hid them or in any way disposed of them so that I'd have to go naked.

Cursing him again under my breath, I tore the bed sheets out and wrapped them around my torso. I kicked the two-way door open and found a slutty blonde pressed up against the wall outside, while her partner was fingering her. She still had all her clothes on, but her man had adjusted her miniskirt and pushed aside the silk thong that I could see underneath. She was dripping wet.

Pushing her man away, I cornered the aroused blonde and commanded, "Strip of your clothes."

She didn't move and sneered at me. "Go to hell, you bitch."

I grabbed a bunch of her hair in my fist and tore them from their roots. "Strip of your fucking clothes NOW you slut!"

Reluctantly and sulking, she stripped and gave me her clothes. I put them all on except for her thong; I _so_ did not want to be wearing her juices.

I stuffed the thong into her man's mouth and enjoyed his surprised expression for a moment as he sucked on her juices. Then the man flung the thong across the room and he and his blonde started making out. I fled the scene.

Running out and up, I found myself back in the bar of Pearl Inn. So, in fact, there'd been a hidden basement I'd never known about. Where was that cursed girl, Lana?

In the blonde's clothes I ran up to Room 215 only to realize two things: 1) The room no longer belonged to me since I'd only be staying for one night and I'd have to checkout, 2) Even if I'd still be staying at the inn, I'd foolishly given Lana the keys to the room and she was nowhere in sight. I took out my mobile and flipped quickly down my contacts list, searching for both 'Lana' and 'Bernhardt'.

Finally, I found Lana's contacts, but not in the place I was expecting, because I'd saved Lana's as: JACOB BLACK IS MINE: LANA BERNHARDT. Sighing, I entered that page and dialed Lana's mobile.

She picked up right on the first ring.

_Lana: Renesmee! It's you! Where are you?_

_Me: You didn't wait for me?_

_Lana: You were unconscious! How was I supposed to know you'd only be back in action at this time of the day? You should count yourself lucky that I wasn't asleep when you called me! So, tell me now, where _are_ you? _

_Me: Still back at Pearl Inn…hold on, where are _you_?_

_Lana: Driving. On the way back to Forks._

_Me: Fuck you…! Why… _

_Lana: Did you honestly expect me to wait for you all night? And we're ex-enemies, you know. I don't think even your best friends would have waited for you if they'd been in my place._

_Me: Stop spouting nonsense, fucker. And leave Elizabeth, Bethany and Kara out of this. They've nothing to do with you and this whole thing and you'd better not assume anything because they're way more loyal than you could _ever_ think! Now how am I supposed to get back to Forks, you tell me? _

_Lana: That's your problem. Who asked you to get so drunk and fall unconscious? You don't have a car and you don't have any money. Face it. You're going to get stranded here as a beggar until you put together enough money to pay for the transport home._

_Me: My problem? What's that supposed to mean? I drove you here to escape from the cops and now you're betraying me? I really do hope the cops get you this time. And, as you said, we're _ex_-enemies. That means you're my friend now and you're supposed to help me. _

_Lana: Oh, well, sorry, that's just too bad. Look, I'm already on the way back to Forks and you expect me to make a U-turn and come back for you? _

_Me: Of course. _

_Lana: No, only in your dreams would I ever be doing that. _

_Me: Okay. We're not ex-enemies anymore. We _are_ enemies and you will pay for this when I get back._

_Lana: That's perfectly fine with me. Good luck. _

_-Hanging up- _

Fuming, I called Aunt Rosalie. She, too, picked up on the first ring:

_Me: Aunt Rose! It's Nessie and I'm calling from Golden Sparrow Village with an emergency. That bitch Lana left me stranded here and now I've no money and no transport to get home. Can you send somebody to pick me up from there?_

_Rosalie: Uh, sure I guess. I can't go and neither can your Uncle Emmett because…well, we have some serious business on our hands. Let me check with your grandparents. _

_- Bell tone-_

_Rosalie: Good news. Esme's coming for you, but I'm afraid that's gonna take some time. You can…wait, right?_

_Me: Yeah sure. Grandma knows where Golden Sparrow Village is, right? _

_Rosalie: Uh-huh. Carlisle doesn't teach her geography for nothing. Will she be tracing your scent throughout the village or will you be at some recognizable place for her to…?_

_Me: I'll be meeting her in front of the Carrie Spinach Ice Skating Rink, okay? (I'd decided not to meet Grandma Esme at Pearl Inn because I hated that fucking inn. The ice rink was near Pearl Inn so I'd chosen that place. Carrie Spinach sounds hilarious). _

_Rosalie: Okay, good, I'll tell her that. _

_-Hanging up- _

I lingered in front of the Carrie Spinach Ice Skating Rink. The rink was empty as this was not its opening hours (way too early). I tried to peep in the window, but it was covered from the inside with milky-white curtains.

I couldn't really do anything but wait till Grandma Esme came, and found myself getting thirsty despite the amount of liquid I'd drank last night. I couldn't drink because I had no money, and I didn't think there was enough time to get away from the city to a patch of forest _and_ drink up some animals before my grandmother came. I was going to have a word with Lana when I got back to Forks, which was for sure.

Had Lana deliberately wanted to strand me here to save more time for her to be with Jake? If yes, then without a question it was because she would have to give up the antidote when I got back. I didn't know why, but I started to feel strangely nauseous. A wave of nausea passed over me, and then another, and another. I just had time to squat beside a drain before I threw up. Had it been because of the excessive amount of alcohol I'd drank?

With a jolt, I wondered if Gregory had already taken my virginity away from me, and found myself horribly angered and frightened by the thought. But Gregory was dead, and whatever he'd done to me had already been avenged.

Running into a 24-hour McDonald's and rushing straight to the toilet, I hid myself in one of the cubicles and lowered the blonde's miniskirt. Then I checked my hymen. Luckily, it was still intact. I actually felt glad that Gregory had wanted to play with my breasts first before entering me…and I shuddered.

I'd planned to lose my virginity to Jacob once I'd turned eighteen. Okay, so maybe a year earlier wouldn't hurt, but I'd wanted to lose my precious V-card the same age as my mother had. Would my parents and other family detest me for having pre-marital sex? I certainly hoped not. Jake and I had also planned to marry when I was twenty. I knew he couldn't wait and neither could I…but that was in the past, before Lana Bernhardt the Boyfriend Stealer's time…Of _course_ Jake loved me, right…?

About an hour later, I was still thinking about Jacob when I heard light footsteps, too light to be anything human. I looked up and saw Grandma Esme. She was dressed casually, in a swirly-print yellow faded tank top and jeans, but looked like a goddess all the same. Well, if I told you she was my grandmother, you'd never believe me, right? Not in a million years.

Grandma Esme opened her arms up for a hug and I fairly flew into her arms. I didn't know why but lately I'd felt like I was missing family warmth and I couldn't wait to get home. Was it because that my family was all ice-cold beings so I didn't get family warmth? Ha, ha.

"How's my favorite granddaughter?" she asked when we finally pulled apart.

"I'm your _only_ granddaughter," I reminded Grandma Esme. I felt a bit strange. Had her superb vampire memory failed her?

To my immense surprise, Grandma Esme chuckled. "Oh, well, even if I had twenty granddaughters, you'd still be my favorite. So, anyway, your Aunt Rosalie brought word to me from you that Lana, your "rival", abandoned you in this place? This Golden Sparrow Village?"

I nodded. "Exactly." It was lucky for my paternal grandmother that she wasn't sparkling in the sun because it was not yet dawn.

"Hmm…" Grandma Esme trailed off thoughtfully. "Why would she abandon you? So that she'd have more time with Jacob while you're stranded here, darling?"

"Probably, or maybe that's just one of the reasons. I'll tell you everything that happened on the way here when we get home…right now I just want to see my parents' cottage and the main house again."

Esme laughed again. "Okay, okay." She took my hand and led me, walking at a faster-than-average-human pace, to the side of the village, where her Porsche was parked. Aunt Alice, who loved Porsches above any other brands of cars, had bought her this one for her birthday. I just find it funny that, for birthdays and Christmases and some other occasions, presents always have to be cars and cottages and expensive jewelry and such items.

Suddenly, I found myself missing Jake all over again, and thinking about my presents from him: handmade bracelets, his very own "love tokens", cakes, or a simple takeaway dinner in his garage. All those things, however simple and cheap compared to my family's gifts, were the ones that had truly mattered. I could feel the layers of love radiating through those gifts, each and every time. I knew my family loved me too, but there was just something…slightly _off_ about the way they spent so much money spoiling me. I couldn't care less about wealth and riches. What was the point? Once I became Renesmee Black, I could enjoy my simple lifestyle and lovely gifts with my, er, _husband_.

Again, for what seemed like the millionth time that week, or even that _day_ for the matter, I'd been caught up in one of those Jacob-related fantasies _again._ It wasn't that I wanted them to stop; they only proved how much I loved him, and missed him. But I wanted to stop torturing myself with something that couldn't be mine for that moment…at least I kept with me the assurance that it would be mine, once again, not for much longer.

By that time, we'd already reached Esme's car. I climbed into the passenger seat, Esme into the driver's and she ignited the engine. We were headed for home, back to Forks, where my heart belonged.

That was when my phone rang.

Jake POV

How was I supposed to apologize to Nessie after all the heartbreak I'd caused her? It was just like splitting a cracked mirror; although you could always mend it and put the pieces back together where they belonged, the scar would never vanish. I only wished that there was some kind of enchantment for me to be able to erase the past few days of our lives. If only there was any way for us to forgive and forget, a new beginning…?

Lana had given me the antidote to the love potion she'd told me she'd been using to keep me with her all this time, out of a guilty conscience or so she said. Apparently Nessie had, by some chance, discovered her secret. Now the only rational thing for me to do was to call her, naturally, right? I could only hope that she wouldn't hang up on me.

Lana had given me enough information. She and Nessie had been stranded in a certain Golden Sparrow Village for one night. She'd probably been honest; when she told me that she had left Nessie to drive back on her own. I'd become enraged then, and would have very nearly pounced on her and phasing into my wolf form at this kind of treatment to my imprint. Then I remembered she was just another clueless human bound by her stupidity. In order to control my rage I had crashed myself against the wall; anything to stop the trembling working its way through my body. Was I now regretting why I had not killed Lana for deceiving me and causing Nessie's grief? Was it because her "innocent" human look had given me the strength to stop myself?

Nessie picked up on the first ring and I almost sighed with relief:

_Nessie: Ohmigod Jake you're calling me? _(I could almost see her face falling as though she were just in front of me). _Uh, no, sorry…I suppose you're just calling to berate me for calling your precious Lana those names?_

_Jake: No,_ I'm_ the one who should apologize to you, Nessie, and greatly indeed. I'm not sure what exactly should be done in order to earn your forgiveness, but I'm sure that whatever it will be, I'm prepared to do it._

_Nessie: Jake…All I ask for is that we may start over once again, that the days Lana had power over you would be forgotten…wait, Lana gave you the antidote, didn't she?_

_Jake: Yeah…she told me something about "guilty conscience", and that you knew her secret…something along those lines…_

_Nessie: laughs that was more than I had expected her to do, and I can't believe I'm actually grateful to the girl who destroyed my love life completely. _

_Jake: Thank you_ so_ much for giving me your trust and forgiveness Renesmee…_

_Nessie: laughs again well, you hardly ever use my full name, I guess…and you weren't to blame, definitely! Who could have ever guessed about something as bizarre as a love potion…? Even I had time accepting it…_

_Jake: Hold on, how did you know about this…oh, Quil and Jared helped you didn't they? I suspected something was wrong when Sam called the emergency pack meeting off…smart girl. _

_Nessie: I'm on my way back to Forks right now, Grandma Esme's driving me back. See you soon _

_-Hanging up- _

Nessie forgave me! SHE FORGAVE ME! How could I ever have misjudged her, even if I was under a spell? That love potion must have been pretty powerful, huh? It would have taken my life to make me betray Nessie.

I couldn't wait for Nessie to get back here…_Mmm, my Nessie…_I wished I could just run to her and kiss her all over her beautiful body. I hoped Esme wasn't a slowpoke and remembered how fast Eddie boy had driven; I sure hoped that all vampires drove at his speed, hopefully even faster. But that, as a tender, motherly, female vampire, as much as vampires could be tender and motherly, I didn't see why Esme would be driving fast. Hopefully she'd realized what an emergency this was, or if Nessie had told her to drive faster.

_Mmm…I can just taste Nessie's sexy; sultry lips right now…my Nessie _

I needed Nessie right now, I really did. So I dialed her up and listened impatiently as it rang. After what seemed like ages, she finally picked up.

_Nessie: Hey, this is Jake, right? What is it?_

_Jake: Um, Ness? Where are you now?_

_Nessie: pause Emm…I think it's around Albretton College, you know that college at the border of Seattle? Yeah, around there, I guess. Why are you asking this right now?_

_Jake: You'll find out soon. Okay, so just to confirm, you're on the Graystone Pacific Highway, yeah?_

_Nessie: Um, I think so. Studied your geography eh Jake?_

_Jake: chuckles well, as a wolf I've gotta know all these things. It helps when we're in enemy territory, too. _

_Nessie: Mmm…I miss you, but I'm coming _

_Jake: Exactly. I miss you too…and I love you like nobody else does. Sure you'll be seeing me soon I hope so_

_-Hanging up- _

Smiling, I ran out of Emily's cottage and phased. Sam and Emily ran out of the house. Sam looked very surprised and Emily had a set of extra clothes in her hand, but I shook my wolf-head at her to tell her that I didn't need it.

Then I took off.

Normally I would still have been marveling at the speed at which I was flying off and on the ground, except for when we were hunting filthy bloodsuckers as a pack. But now, I was on a mission:

Mission I'M-GOING-TO-FIND-NESSIE-AND-GET-HER-OUT-OF-THE-CAR-AND-GIVE-HER-A-RIDE-BACK-TO-FORKS-SO-WE-CAN-BE-TOGETHER-EVEN-QUICKER

**So, how was that? I hoped you enjoyed this! It was one of the wildest chapters I'd ever written. Review please!**

**Review, review, review! Thanks! :) **


	7. Beautiful Seduction AND Consequences

Chapter 7

**A/N: All hail the golden couple, Jake & Nessie! This is gonna be one romantic chapter!**

Nessie POV

I had no idea what Jake meant by his earlier words, but I couldn't have cared less. It just meant that we'd see each other sooner and that was all I'd ever ask for. I knew that Grandma Esme had heard the whole conversation with her vampire hearing (not that she'd want to invade my privacy, but I know she can't help it!). Still, she didn't press me for answers and romantic "juicy" gossip like Aunt Alice would, and I was grateful. I was also glad that it wasn't Dad who was driving and that he was far away, at the Amazon probably, or all my secrets, which were only safe in my mind, would have been exposed to him. This wasn't the first time I got jealous of Mom's vampire superpower.

"So, your Jacob, he's a nice boy, isn't it?" Grandma Esme commented casually, breaking the layer of silence that had gradually fallen over us like a curtain.

I blushed noticeably, especially the part about "my Jacob". I wasn't sure I could claim that, although I very much liked to, but I was certainly "his Nessie". Quoting from Dad when he and Mom were still unmarried (Eclipse): "_You can have any part of me you want, or none at all, if that's better." _It was true with my words to Jake, but secretly I really hoped that he would want _all_ of me.

I was still contemplating the way Jake and my romance had gone on lately, for the week or so, when a flash of russet caught my eye from beside me.

I turned and was almost unable to control the scream (of elation, joy, happiness, delight) that threatened to escape my throat. I strangled my scream and forced my eyes to focus, where then I saw my one and only true love:

JACOB BLACK!

"OMG what is he doing here?" I murmured to myself, still overcome with shock and surprise, but only partially. Grandma Esme hit the brakes and the car skidded to a stop right in the middle of the highway. It reminded me of the time Lana had did this to deliberately harmed me. The memory made me wince, and I quickly stowed it away.

Grandma Esme slid gracefully out of the car to address the drivers around here who had already started honking at us. She wore a beautifully brilliant smile on her forever-26-year-old face. "Please, people, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you." Her voice was alluring and steady as she shot a glance in my direction, and then looked away again. "My…_daughter _has faced with an emergency. I promise that we will clear the roads for you soon."

By now, I had snapped out of my shock and I trusted my grandmother to keep the drivers busy. I leaned down to kiss the Jacob-wolf but his eyes seemed to say, _not now_. Sighing, I clambered up his back. He jumped off the highway rails and into the forest trails below as we sped back towards home. I gave Grandma Esme a thumbs-up sign as Jake sprinted away, and I just barely caught her winking back at me.

Luckily, it seemed as though none of the drivers we had blocked had noticed the big russet wolf and the half-vampire girl aboard his back.

I leaned down low on Jake's furry back, joy washing through my body like waves of cleansing, pure delight-water. I laughed freely all the way, and enjoyed the sounds of Jake's happy snorts harmonizing with my laughter.

"Oh Jacob," I whispered, running my hands through his fur, "I love you."

And, even though this might sound impossible, Jake was smiling in his wolf form.

He let out a low growl, and I realized that we had reached our destination. I wasn't quite ready for that breathtakingly exhilarating ride to end.

Reluctantly I hopped off from his back and came to face the main house. I heard noises inside and Uncle Emmett's unmistakable guffaw, and wondered why they hadn't gotten outside, since I knew for sure that they knew I was home. Then I met with the realization that they must have left me privately with Jake so that we could share this moment of romance, just us two. _How considerate,_ were my last thoughts before I heard an exploding noise behind me.

I spun around.

Jacob was no longer a wolf but a human, and he was all…naked. Fuck. Could I actually _resist_ him? Dad would kill me if he knew…but no, I couldn't resist him, and it didn't bother me anymore now that my family members would very likely be very upset. Jake was _all_ that mattered, and if he could be content about what I could give him then I had nothing more to hesitate about.

Running straight for Jake, I leapt up into his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist. I attacked his lips with my own, and he satisfied me in ways no other man could. He didn't push me away or do anything to stop me, so I guess he was perfectly fine with this.

I was just starting to push my tongue between his lips when he, very gently, held me back.

I pulled back from him. "Anything wrong?"

Jake chuckled heartily. "Not with _you_…" He led me further, deeper into the forest, in so private a place that no one would think of looking, in a wonderfully comfortable bed of leaves. "Now, no one could possibly see us here."

Carefully he laid me on the forest floor and whispered, "There couldn't be anything wrong with you, Nessie, because you're absolutely _perfect_."

He started to kiss me, and neither of us protested when our tongues tangled with each others'. He licked my lips and I made a swipe for his teeth with my tongue, but missed. He laughed into my mouth, and I giggled into his.

He hungrily tore open my blouse, the one I had taken from the crazy blonde at Pearl Inn, and ran his hands over the navy silk bra inside. He sighed and I saw the lust in his eyes.

I knew what he wanted, so I arched my back and let him have easy access to the clasp of the bra, which he immediately unclasped. He sighed again when he saw my B-cups facing upwards, as though to greet him.

And in a flash he was down, wrapping his hot lips around my left breast and his fingers around my right. He kissed, chewed, licked, bit and sucked on my left breast while his fingers stroked, massaged, pinched, rubbed and scratched my right breast. I didn't know how he accomplished this task but it felt amazing. He was a naked, hot sex god right in front of me and he was all mine.

Back off, Lana, _all mine_.

I should have screamed out loud in pain when he pinched and chewed and bit on my breasts, but I didn't. The feeling was all too sensual and I felt perfectly aroused to even feel the slightest part of pain. Instead, I moaned.

His lips trailed up from my breast and all the way up my neck, breathing against it between kisses. When he finally captured my mouth back in his again, I started moving up and down, rubbing his body lightly with mine and scratching my nipples across his. This time, it was he who moaned.

He slid of the crazy blonde's skirt and his eyes popped open. "No panties?" he whispered teasingly, but I knew he liked that fact.

"No," I whispered back in what I hoped was in a seductive manner. "Long story."

He looked down and saw my juices oozing. "God, Ness," he whispered. I didn't know why we were whispering but it somehow made the atmosphere more romantic and sexy. "So wet for me."

And I simply smiled as he licked up all the wetness until not one drop remained. I heard the liquid travelling down his throat and my smile grew even wider. He let out a comfortable "ahhh" as he fully swallowed it. That reminded me of a young guy drinking Pepsi or Coke or Perrier for the first time, and then when the beverage would fizz down, that would be the sound he'd be making…

I was distracted and pulled away from my thoughts when I saw Jake produce a silver and blue striped wrapper from out of nowhere. He ripped apart the wrapper with his teeth and put it on.

"Where did you get that condom from?" I asked, feeling as mystified as I was sure he wanted me to feel.

He winked at me. "Magic."

I let out an inaudible groan, knowing that he was never going to tell me the truth behind this.

Jake licked his way up my inner thigh and wham-slammed into me with full force. This time, I did scream, and I screamed in pain. But my screams of pain soon turned to screams of pleasure as his tongue pushed in and out of me.

When his tongue withdrew out of me for the seventh time, he pushed one of his fingers into me. He went deeper when he made sure he wasn't hurting me, and I climaxed as he hit a spot. And I couldn't help but spray juices all over his finger.

He pulled his finger out of me and licked my juices up again. It was so pleasurable to know that he enjoyed the taste of my wetness and even more pleasurable to know that he liked me and my body.

"Ness you are so tight," he whispered. I automatically stretched to accommodate his three fingers inside me. "But I like it that way," he continued.

He took his fingers out of me and cocked his lower hip towards me. Only now was I fully aware of his size and I gasped aloud. He gave me a mischievous half-smile and stuck it inside me. I felt my hymen break and my body loosen up like jelly. It was pleasurable, certainly, but more pained than I had imagined.

As a half-vampire, I'd never been afraid of pain before, not even when the Volturi had come, thinking I was an immortal child just shortly after my birth. I didn't take much thought to dying, because I'd never been frightened of death. I'd simply burn, and when my ashes were found scattered, wherever I might die, I thought I would just feel a sinking feeling, and not instead of pain.

But, as before, my pain became pleasure, and soon I found myself begging him for more.

"Please…go…on," I told him, trying to sound firmer than I felt. I was pretty breathless from the whole thing but he didn't seem to be. I saw worry flash across his face for a moment, and then his mind seemed to be already made up.

In a sudden burst of speed he entered me again, thrusting in and out, pumping in and out. As he hit my spots I moaned with ecstasy, and filled him with my load. I had orgasm after orgasm, and when I'd hit my peak I collapsed on the leafy forest floor, thoroughly exhausted. He sighed, and collapsed beside me as well.

We lay there for a couple of minutes, just staring at each other, wondering how something so magical could have possibly happened. Then he started taking my nipples into his fingers again, and massaged them, so my mind and body got occupied again.

I placed my hand on his cheek and showed him pictures of us, walking in various places as students, a married couple, parents…and the final picture was a picture of him pumping inside me. He laughed openly at that one.

"So you enjoyed all that, huh baby?" he whispered in a seductive purr. "I was worried that I'd hurt you."

I snorted. "You think I'm so fragile, Jacob Black? And to ask if I enjoyed it would be the understatement of the millennium! How could I _not_ have been in a state of total fucking ecstasy by your actions, you think? Mmm…promise me you'll be mine forever."

"Nessie, I could promise you everything, I could give you everything. I'd risk my life for you and give you the world if I could afford it. Of course I'll be yours for eternity. And you'll be mine, too?"

I smiled at the thought. "I'm yours, and you're mine…what a beautiful effect." I rested my chin on his shoulder and kissed him shortly but sweetly.

That was when I heard the explosion.

I ran to the edge of the forest, still naked, with Jake close behind me. I was careful not to take a single step out. If anyone saw us, we'd be dead.

It turned out that the explosion was a couple of doors in the main Cullen house being smashed into smithereens. I heard my vampire family's low voices but I couldn't distinguish the individual words, because they spoke too softly and too quickly. Then another door being smashed. It sounded a lot like Dad's style…oops.

Then I saw Mom and Dad running full speed out of the house…they were back! Did they know I was here? Oh…wait, they looked…angry. Did they know what Jake and I had done? I remembered Dad's powers and groaned inwardly.

Jake must have thought the same thing because he shrugged at me and went to find our clothes.

"RENESMEE CARLIE CULLEN, GET OVER HERE RIGHT THIS SECOND OR YOUR PRECIOUS WOLF CAN FORGET ABOUT SURVIVING THIS DAY!" Dad's furious voice rang through the forest and I shuddered.

I ripped a large patch of grass from its roots and wrapped it around my body, sticking them together with my saliva again. Then I hurried out of the forest, where Dad was standing in front of Mom, his eyes wide as saucers, nostrils flared, mouth slightly open, not blinking.

"Dad…you're back," I blinked twice, making a lame excuse. But I knew that he knew what we'd done, and he was NOT happy about it. Mom, behind him, looked not angry but upset. Was it too early for me and Jake to…? I saw Dad glaring at me and I couldn't think the word anymore.

"Yes, we're back," Dad growled. He advanced with great steps towards me. "Where is Jacob Black?"

"Don't fight him, Dad, please," I sobbed. I tried to run and embrace Mom but Dad blocked the way and Mom didn't seem ready or welcoming enough for a hug from me yet.

"After what you've done? If you weren't my daughter I would have killed you, too." Dad took another step towards me; and I took a step backwards and away from him.

"No-" my breath broke out in sobs. "Don't…don't kill him…I beg…you…" I sniffed and knelt down on the ground. "Dad…I apologize on behalf of our actions…but couldn't you just give us another chance?"

"Another chance?" Dad let out a bitter laugh. "And if I give you another chance, there's no telling what you would do. What would _he_ do next? Get you pregnant? You should count yourself lucky that I do not disown you as my daughter already. Since Rosalie longs so much for a child, why don't you be Rosalie and Emmett's adopted daughter instead?"

"Edward." Mom's voice was as flat as it was bitter, cold, and sharp. "That's enough." She turned to me like she was going to say something, but her mouth remained shut.

Edward-he does not deserve the title 'Dad'-turned briefly towards Mom for a moment and he nodded thoughtfully. Turning back to me, his expression was ferocious once more. "Get up off that floor now, Renesmee," he barked. "I'm not your God, and I'm not dead yet. If you're desperately looking for a dead someone then go find your beloved mongrel! He doesn't have much more living time left. If you want to say your final goodbyes to him then I'm sure he would accept them very gladly."

I swallowed. Edward Cullen had made me say these words. "I hate you, Edward!"

I ran into the forest, not knowing where I was going. Edward had better not come after me…he would outrun me, anyway. But looking behind, he wasn't chasing me at all.

I was alone.

I hadn't asked for any of this. Edward was the one who had tried to disown me first, by using all those harsh words. Did he think I preferred to be Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett's adopted daughter instead? Even though I loved them as my family, I still valued my own, biological parents above anybody else except for Jake, of course. I only wanted to get far away enough from Edward for him not to be able to read my mind any longer.

My parents, more than anyone else, should understand! Even though I was really only six, I had the body and mind of a seventeen year old and they should have known better than trying to tell me off! Sixteen was the legal age, and I wasn't doing anything illegal.

Was I doing something illegal within my parents' law, then?

I heard someone snarling a distance away; it was a harsh snarl, the kind of sound vampires made when they wanted to get ready for a fight. I recognized the snarl as Uncle Jasper's almost immediately, and stepped tentatively toward the sound.

It was then I realized that the fight was probably going on with _my_ Jacob, and they weren't about to hurt him. Nobody hurts my Jacob.

Running towards the direction of the snarl, I stopped when the path of trees ended and I stood at the edge of a large clearing. Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett were crouched in a ready position opposite from…Jacob and the rest of the pack.

I gasped in shock; Jake's head turned the slightest bit towards me. Although his eyes did not meet mine perfectly, I understood the message in them well: GET BACK NOW. How could I get back if my true love was in mortal danger?

A sandy wolf I recognized as Seth pawed the ground impatiently, sending up a spray of sand flying into Paul's fur. Paul shook the sand back at Seth, but Sam turned around from beside Jacob and gave them a 'no-monkey-business' stare. Seth and Paul stopped trying to shake sand into each others' fur and stood still. Paul even growled at my uncles, although they growled back.

"Nessie," Uncle Jasper said in a firm but calm voice, not looking at me but at Jake. I felt a calming, almost _happy_ blanket fall over me. It took me a second before I realized that Uncle Jasper was toying with my feelings. With all my mental power I pushed the blanket away from me, struggling. Uncle Jasper sighed and let my feelings be free to myself. "Go back to your parents, now, we don't want to hurt you."

I paced in front of Jake. He and Sam tried to push me away with their noses but I held my ground. I would protect them if it cost me my life. "You think you can hurt Jake and the pack without hurting me?"

Uncle Jasper sighed again, this time the sigh was coated with more frustration. Uncle Emmett bared his teeth and glared at the pack. "Renesmee, please. Your father has given us instructions. You won't be safe and well with your werewolf. He said that you had been harmed by him…you deserve better."

I crossed my arms across my chest, refusing to budge. "So you think I deserve better? I can't, I'll never be happy without him. Don't you see? He imprinted on _me_. We're destined to be soul mates. If half-vampires could imprint, I'd be imprinting on him, too."

Uncle Jasper cleared his throat uncomfortably. I wondered why Uncle Emmett wasn't talking. "Um, Nessie? On our trip to the Amazon, we already destroyed Nahuel's sisters, who were found guilty of helping Chelsea concoct the love potion which caused all your heartbreak. If he could be moved by a love potion, then I don't really think his feelings for you are that strong, after all. Your father kind of did some match-making between Nahuel and you-"

"WHAT?" I screamed. "I thought Dad approved of our relationship. He betrayed me by trying to match-make me with Nahuel! When I get back I'm going to tell him that he's a traitor and I'll disown him even before he disowns me! Whatever happens I'll only be happy and_ safe_ with Jake and I'll never marry any idiotic Nahuel guy you try to make me be with!" I had to work hard to keep my mouth shut and stop my ranting, although my threats were true. Why should I get involved with anyone my parents wanted me to be with? Love should involve freedom as well. Who cared if two people were from totally different backgrounds? If true love existed between them, then their families should let this love blossom. The couple had the right to pursue their hopes and dreams of romance and freedom, didn't they?

"Nessie, calm down." Again the calm blanket fell over me, and yet again I pushed it away. "Nahuel is coming to see you on Saturday. If you don't like him, then…I'm sure your parents would be more than willing to send him away. After all, they had the aspiration to find you the perfect husband. Surely they would…"

I stalked towards Uncle Jasper. "Don't you see? They don't even care _who_ I marry, as long as I stay away from Jacob. And he's the only one I _want_ to marry! Why can't they just let me find a little happiness?"

"That's just why, they do want to let you have not only a little, but a lot of happiness. I told you. The perfect husband." Had Dad bribed Uncle Jasper to be so persistent? Usually he just let me have my way. Or did he agree with Dad…no, Edward?

"And right now the perfect husband is standing right in front of you and you were going to kill him! You're horrible! Edward even said that I could go and be Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rosalie's adopted daughter if he disowned me and if…" I broke down into sobs and my breath and voice hitched in my throat, disabling my ability to speak. Jacob-wolf nudged me gently, trying to calm me. I ran my hand over his beautiful russet fur and felt my spirits lift slightly. If anything, Jacob would be here for me.

Uncle Emmett stopped short to stare at me. "What did Edward say?"

I placed my hand on his cheek to show him the entire sequence of events ever since Edward had arrived home.

"Renesmee, why are you calling your father 'Edward' instead of Dad?" Uncle Jasper pressed. Was he really interested in the details or did he just want to divert my attention from _other things_?

"It's all very simple. Edward said that he would have killed me if it wasn't for the fact that I was his only, biological daughter. He said he wanted to disown me. Was there not enough reason already for me to undo his title of Dad? He doesn't deserve it, he doesn't deserve anything. I'll just call him by his name, Edward…if I even bother speaking to him. But he'll just read my mind anyway, so what's the point? His mind reading ability is so fucking annoying." I wanted someone to understand the reasons behind my actions. I knew that they would have caused my parents much hurt, but they, too, caused me more hurt than they ever could have imagined. Because, beneath the layers of anger saturating the surface of my skin, lay even deeper layers of hurt and pain.

"Oh…" For once, even my uncles seemed lost for words.

"Edward's done it now," Uncle Emmett finally muttered in a low voice. "He can't possibly want to disown Nessie after all that she's-"

"Emmett!" Uncle Jasper's chiding reminded me of Grandma Esme's gentle but firm ways. "That's enough already. Do you want Nessie to think that she might never be able to call them her parents again?" Although they spoke in low voices that I could tell they hoped for me not to hear, I could fairly distinguish the words, and I was even more hurt by those words.

I turned back to Jacob, who lifted one furry paw off the sand to wrap it around my shoulders. I was touched by the affectionate gesture. All the other wolves from the pack stood still, crouched and ready. I sobbed and coughed loudly into his fur. Nobody cared, nobody minded. It had all begun with the love potion, all begun with Lana. If it wasn't for her, my father wouldn't have wanted to disown me, and none of this would ever have happened. Lana was thoroughly and completely a sucker for temptation and she would pay the price for causing everybody so much pain and discomfort. _She would pay_. How this chain of events had been linked to one another, I would never know. Only Fate and Destiny knew. Aunt Alice didn't know because she could see neither me nor Jake.

What if Jake and I could escape to a faraway continent, and live a quiet, peaceful but romantic life? We would never have to take a step out of the forest. We could hunt when and where we wanted. We could build a house out of logs. Nobody would ever find us. Nobody would miss us, anyway. Except maybe the pack…

We could escape…

Or could we?


End file.
